The Lost Millennium
by xeikm
Summary: The destruction of Sin and Vegnagun brought Spira its Eternal Calm. However, that delicate peace is put on the line when Spira's lost past comes back to haunt the world, it will be up to Tidus and Yuna's children to save the world! But will they be able to restore balance to the world? Or will the past destroy the fragile peace that Yuna fought so hard to bring to life?
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Welcome to "The Lost Millennium"! I am so excited to finally put this fic together. I will have another chapter up before the end of the week! Just enjoy the prologue and let me know how you feel about the story so far. Enjoy! :)**

**Prologue: Eternal Calm**

For a thousand years, Spira knew nothing but pain and suffering as the monster known as Sin brought misery to the world. Millions of lives would be lost, cities were destroyed, and Spira itself was in danger of collapse. The Teachings of Yevon that had maintained stability for Spira were revealed to be a lie. In order to save Spira, it would take the actions of one, brave Summoner to defy all of the odds and a thousand years of tradition.

Yuna, daughter of High Summoner Braska, would be the one to bring salvation to Spira. With the help of her Guardians, they changed Spira's destiny by vanquishing Sin forever.

With Sin no more and Yevon's collapse, Spira's future seemed bright thanks to Yuna and her Guardians. But there would be a price to pay for Sin's defeat. The Fayth, the Aeons that Summoners called to protect Spira were allowed rest. Their dream finally came to an end with the dream that Sin was doomed to protect was allowed to end. The price, Yuna lost her husband, Tidus, who was a Dream of the Fayth that lived in the dream of Zanarkand.

But Sin was only the beginning; Yuna would fight to defend Spira once more this time against the ancient Machina, Vegnagun and its operator, a vengeful spirit from Zanarkand, Shuyin. Dismantling the machine and saving Shuyin from his darkness, Yuna brought salvation to Spira once again.

All of Spira was thankful to Yuna, but none were more thankful then her children.

Before losing Tidus, the couple had two children: their daughter Mizuki and their son Haru. Yuna would return to her home at the Isle of Besaid where she would raise her children until the end of her days.

Upon the High Summoner's death, her children would be teenagers who would fight to find their place in Spira and resisting those who wished to control them. While the children wouldn't be alone, they would be protected by those who had sworn to defend their mother when she was their age.

As the siblings sought their way in life, trouble was just about to befall Spira as the world was finally starting to recover after a thousand years of torment.

* * *

Council meetings always tended to be dreadfully boring, but they were important in maintaining the fragile stability for Spira. The Council was made up of the political organizations and leaders of the different races in Spira. The meetings were always held in Bevelle, the center of power in Spira where the Church of Yevon once dominated the world.

Baralai, Praetor of New Yevon, led the various leaders into the chambers where they had their meetings. The silver-haired man welcomed all of the guests as he saw that today's meeting was a full house after all. Amongst the leaders was the Elder of the Ronso Tribe, Kimahri Ronso, who was one of the Legendary Guardians that fought alongside High Summoner Yuna to destroy Sin. Gippal, the Al Bhed leader of the Machine Faction, sat at his chair with his hands behind his blond head as he waited for the show to begin. Commodore Lucil of the Youth League, the newly upon leader of the organization following Mevyn Nooj stepping down from power, was present for her first meeting as well. Tromell Guado, the new leader for the Guado people since Seymour Guado's death, was also present as well.

Amongst all of these leaders at the head of the table was a seat that had once belonged to a woman who brought Spira its salvation. High Summoner Yuna was responsible for helping with the foundation of the Council and bringing all of these bodies together. She feared of Spira losing the fragile peace that she had sacrificed so much to bring into light. After her death four years ago, there was a void for the Council, one that worried all of them as they feared the peace would fall apart.

Only it didn't because someone rose up to hold it all together.

Haru, son of the High Summoner and a Dream of the Fayth, was the Council's Neutral Speaker.

While he had no direct vote in the affairs of the Council, his voice weighed a great deal as everyone respected him for who he was and the woman who raised him. His soft-spoken voice reminded them all of Yuna, more so then his physical appearance, which he took a great deal after his mother. Except for his eyes, he had bright-blue eyes like his father. Haru's slim stature hid the strength of his heart and will as he was so much like his mother in that he wanted the Eternal Calm to last for all of eternity.

Running a hand through his dark-brown hair, Haru listened to a new concern for Spira. The news he was listening to was troubling him as his initial reaction was to turn to his uncle, Gippal. The leader of the Machine Faction had married Haru's Aunt Rikku about a year after the battle with Vegnagun, and the two had a son the following year.

"Before anyone goes blaming me," said Gippal as he stood up, "we have nothing to do with these Machina sightings. Everyone in the Council is aware of our level of technology. These advanced machines are beyond our current level so it can't be the work of the Machine Faction."

"What about the Al Bhed in general then?" asked Lucil. "Could someone else be constructing these machines like your former leader Cid?'

"My great uncle is retired and living peacefully on Bikanel Island," said Haru. "After my mother chewed him out for turning the ruins of Zanarkand into a tourist attraction, he cleaned up his act. So I highly doubt he's involved as I'm positive that no one else in the Council is involved as well."

Nodding his head, Baralai agreed with Haru's claims. "Then these Machina sightings must be the work of an outside party," said Baralai. "My best guess is that maybe some Sphere Hunters got their hands on some Ancient Machina from before the days of Sin. So far, there are no reports of any attacks, but these Machina sightings still worry me."

"As they would for anyone," added Tromell. "The best we can do is to investigate the matter. The last sighting was in the Calm Lands, correct?"

"Yes," said Kimahri. "I have sent some of the Ronso Warriors to investigate, but none of them have found any information of value. Thankfully, none of them have been attacked either."

The members of the Council found this to be a small positive in such an uncertain situation. With the talks of Machina over, they moved onto other smaller matters as they figured out what needs of each of their organizations needed to be addressed.

With the meeting over with, the various leaders of Spira began to leave the Council Chamber in Bevelle. The only ones who stuck around longer than needed were Baralai, Gippal, and Haru as they still wanted to discuss these Machina sightings some more. Baralai was put on the spot once more since it was Bevelle that housed Vegnagun for a thousand years and had various underground chambers.

It was likely that someone unearthed some other ancient machine buried deep within Bevelle, but Baralai knew of nothing on the scale that Vegnagun was at.

"The best we can do is keep our vigilance up," said Baralai. "I will keep doing research to see if anything turns up. Until then, it's best if we try not to worry so much about these things." Ending the conversation there, the other two men prepared to leave when Baralai stopped Haru from leaving. Gippal was drawn into the conversation that the Praetor was trying to start up with his darling nephew. "You of all people should be taking some time off, Haru. You've been speaking on the Council since you were thirteen. Maybe you should take the time to find a nice girl or boy to settle down with."

"I'm only seventeen!" said Haru as his face turned bright red from embarrassment.

Gippal couldn't help but to chuckle at the poor boy's expense. He enjoyed seeing people getting put on the spot since it always brought out the humor in life. "I think that's my buddy's point, nephew," laughed Gippal. "You're acting like a man well into his forties. If you're going to work as hard as an old man then maybe you should start settling down and start a family! Or, you know, you can act your age."

The doors to the chambers opened up just as a newcomer heard the tale that Gippal and Baralai were weaving against Haru. A light chuckle escaped from the young, tanned man's lip as he stood near them, crossing his arms over his toned frame. His black bangs falling to the side of his face with his head mildly buzzed on the sides to show off his red roots.

"You won't have any luck. I've been telling him that for years."

Blushing more, Haru couldn't believe that his own friend was turning against him. His bright, blue robes shuffled as he approached his friend, punching him in the shoulder. "Not you too, Vidina!" shouted Haru.

The son of Legendary Guardians, Wakka and Lulu, started to chuckle some more. Dressed mildly like his mother, Vidina wore black, form-fitted, leather jacket and pants with multiple belts on his waist. "Hey, I'm trying to convince you to enjoy life a little, Haru," said Vidina. "You're all work and no play. Mizuki might be a little irresponsible and a wild child, but at least she acts her age."

"Are you telling me to act like my sister?" asked Haru.

"It wouldn't hurt to act your age a little more often," said Gippal as he patted his nephew's back. "Now, if you boys excuse me, I have to get home to the wife! I'll see you at the next meeting."

Watching Gippal leave, Baralai decided to make his leave as well. The Praetor left the boys alone in the room as Haru was still burning with embarrassment.

Haru took a seat at the Council table with Vidina standing over him. The two had been best friends since they were babies, the same with Mizuki. The three of them grew up on Besaid with Haru and Mizuki's cousin Seiki often showing up as well. Since Haru joined the Council, Vidina appointed himself as Haru's unofficial Guardian since he was a master of Black Magic like his mother.

Vidina climbed on top of the table, looking over at a map of Spira. There were markings all along it from the sightings of the mysterious Machina that they had no idea of where they came from. "You know, we could try asking the Gullwings for help," said Vidina. "With the Celsius, we'll be able to cover a lot more ground. That is, if you think you can handle being a Sphere Hunter!"

Haru pulled Vidina down from the table as he shook his head at his friend. "You're just looking for any excuse to get me out of the Council!" said Haru. "I know that this might seem like a stuffy job to you, V, but I like it here. I like doing my part to help Spira."

"If you really want to help Spira," said Vidina, "then you'll get outside these walls and do something more like your parents did. You can only do so much in these stuffy meetings. Look at your sister, she played Blitzball for two years to bring entertainment to the people then became a Sphere Hunter to uncover the secrets of Spira's history! You can do so much more, Haru, you are the son and grandson of High Summoners!"

"Ulterior motives. You're plotting with Mizuki to get me to change jobs, aren't you?" said Haru.

Vidina started to smirk as he patted his friend on the back. He held up an index finger as he made his offer clear since he was considering joining the Gullwings on his own. The Council gig wasn't paying him nearly enough and it was a rather boring job. He wanted to see more of Spira and he wanted his best friend to be there with him, which is why he was trying too hard to get Haru to say yes to the deal.

While that method didn't work, Vidina's words did ring in Haru's head. Haru's position on the Council had virtually no authority at all, it was more of a symbolic role than anything else. It might actually be time for him to get outside and do something more.

Investigating the Machina sightings might be the best thing for Haru to do.

* * *

On the bridge of the Airship, Celsius, the Gullwings stood with a curious expression on their faces as Haru stood there with Vidina. The leader of the Gullwings in particular found this interesting since she hadn't foreseen Haru to come to them for aid. Paine crossed her arms over her chest as she looked over towards Mizuki and Seiki.

The Gullwings had become sort of a family enterprise since it started. While Paine wasn't related to Yuna or Rikku by blood, she had been welcomed into their family with open arms.

When Brother and Buddy left to help Cid rebuild the Al Bhed Home, Paine took control of the Gullwings. She had help from Shinra and Calli for the longest time, but eventually they both left for various reasons. Around that time though, Mizuki and Seiki joined, bringing life back into the Celsius that Paine hadn't seen since she first joined.

Paine hadn't changed that much, appearance wise. She styled her hair the same and kept to a dark, leather wardrobe, although now she did wear more clothes then she did in her twenties. "You're trying to turn us into an arm of the Council?" said Paine as she tried to understand what Haru was requesting of them. "You do understand that we're Sphere Hunters, correct? We're not here to please the Council."

"I understand that, Paine," said Haru as he approached her, "but we know nothing of these Machina. We have to track their origins to determine if they're a danger to Spira or not. "

Bumping into her brother, Mizuki had to interrupt. While Haru looked more like their mother, Mizuki looked far more like their father. She had short, blonde hair like Tidus did but had Yuna's dual eyes, one blue and one green. "But that'll take time away from Sphere Hunting!" said Mizuki. Dressed up, Mizuki wore dark leggings with a small skirt over it and a yellow, cropped top that revealed her stomach. "We have to live somehow!"

"What if I can guarantee funds from the Council?" asked Haru. "And you needn't stop Sphere Hunting completely. You can still hunt for spheres, but we'll also be investigating these Machina sightings."

Crossing his arms over his green, sleeveless tank, the skinny Seiki turned towards Paine. The young man had blond hair like his parents that he had buzzed short as well as the swirly, green eyes that all Al Bhed shared. "A very tempting offer," said Seiki as he wiped his hands along his baggy shorts. "What do you think, Paine? Do you think it's a reasonable offer?"

Nodding her head, Paine seemed to figure out what to do now. "Guarantee the funds and we're in," said Paine. She turned away from Haru and Vidina as she approached the Sphere-Oscillo Finder. She was about to begin accessing the data that Haru brought with them when a thought occurred to her. "First though, you'll need to change out of those robes. You look like a priest of Yevon or a Summoner, not a Sphere Hunter."

"But I like my robes," said Haru as he hugged his sides.

"Those clothes aren't befitting of a Sphere Hunter though!" said Mizuki with a smile on her face as she and Seiki teamed up on him. They grabbed hold of the young man's arms, dragging him down to the cabin of the airship for a change of clothes.

Vidina waved his friend off before joining Paine. The two got to work on their data collecting until Mizuki and Seiki returned with a brand new Haru.

The computer was working its magic until they heard whistling, causing them to turn around.

Standing near the rail, Haru had a whole new look. He wore a gray cardigan over a sleeveless, white vest with the collar pulled up and a pair of black shorts that showed off his long legs as they ended above his knees. He had on a pair of yellow, work boots with a special necklace dangling around his neck that matched the one that Mizuki wore. The necklace had been buried underneath his robes, but the necklace was a replica of the one their father wore that their mother had made for them when they were kids.

Haru felt rather uncomfortable in his new clothes, while Vidina whistled at him. The young man continued to blush, feeling really embarrassed as he opted for a pair of pants or at least a longer pair of shorts.

Calling the crew front and center, Paine prepared the new members of the Gullwings for their coming mission. While they had no new clues for their Machina hunt, they did have a hit on sphere that was going to be theirs.

"It looks like we're going to the Thunder Plains," said Paine. "Put on your raincoats, kids! Also, don't forget your lightning proof equipment! You can never trust the Lightning Towers."

"Yes, ma'am!" shouted the Gullwings.


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Well then, I am done writing our first real chapter for The Lost Millennium! I'm glad to get some responses for just the prologue, but now the show...story can officially begin! Enjoy! Read and review!**

**Gullwings in Position:**

The Celsius floated above the clouds with the team waiting by the monitors for their drop off zone. They were heading for a particular part of the Thunder Plains that had yet to be fully excavated, which meant that they were twice as likely to be struck by lightning. After all, the towers only went so far.

Haru was still getting used to his new outfit as he stood at the bridge. He watched as Seiki and Mizuki worked the airship into their intended destination. He was simply amazed how good of a job that they were able to use the Machina. Like his parents, Haru was hardly skilled with any types of machines.

Listening to the roar of the engine though, Haru did find it to be reasonably exhilarating. Now he really could understand why their mother was pulled into the allure of Sphere Hunting.

Staring at the Sphere Oscillo Finder, Vidina was particularly awestruck by the piece of tech. A smile on his face as he didn't care the prejudice that his father once held. "Do we know anything about this sphere that we're after?" asked Vidina. "Can this fancy Machina tell us anything?"

"Don't touch anything!" Paine said with a particularly sharp tone in her voice.

Vidina slowly began to back away when the ship began to ring.

It caught the attention of everyone on the bridge with Paine being the one to notify them that they had arrived to their destination. Their captain showed a map of the Thunder Plains so that the new Gullwings could see that they really were in unfamiliar territory.

They were at least fifteen miles west of the main road. They were closest to Guadosalam, but the home of the Guado was still reasonably far away. If things went sourer, in terms of the weather, then the group of teens would be in serious danger out on the plains.

"Once outside the ship, you're on your own," said Paine. As blunt as she put it, she really didn't mean for it to sound so harsh. She didn't want her crew to panic so she needed to reach out to them in order to keep them calm. "I'll try to keep the ship nearby at all times, but I still want each of you to be careful. No sphere is worth dying over so if it gets too risky then return to the airship, immediately!"

"Yes, ma'am!" shouted the Gullwings.

Mizuki, being the senior Gullwing, called for the boys to follow her. She led them out towards the bottom of the ship so that they could get out of there and go sphere hunting! Paine watched them all leave, taking in a deep breath because if anything went wrong then she was going to have several angry parents on her heels.

Not to mention, two ghosts from the Farplane coming to haunt her.

* * *

On the ground, the Gullwings started to walk across the plains with thunder roaring above their heads. Bolts of lightning streaked across the sky as they quickly learned just why the plains were named so appropriately. Haru and Vidina were both taken back when a particularly loud bolt of thunder flared above their heads, while Mizuki and Seiki kept their cool.

The plains could be a terrifying place if travelers allowed it to be. However, Mizuki had made sure to taken the appropriate precautions as she dutifully followed Paine's orders.

"Do we have any idea where we're supposed to go?" asked Haru as he became nervous about this mission.

Mizuki started to shake her head as their scanner wasn't able to pick up the sphere's exact location. The signal always did tend to get a little scrambled whenever it involved powerful storms like the ones that were produced in the plains or on Mt. Gagazet. "We'll find it though!" said Mizuki, cheerfully. "Don't worry! My nose can pick up those precious treasure sphere waves!"

A chuckle started to escape Seiki's throat as he found his oldest cousin to be a little ridiculous. He went over towards Haru, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "I have a tracker to help us out," said Seiki. "My pops developed one to help us find treasure spheres. It should help us find the sphere before we get zapped to death because of your sister's poor sense of direction."

"I heard that!" shouted Mizuki.

Seiki and Haru both started to chuckle as they waved her off.

Vidina rolled his eyes as he called for the mission to continue. The Thunders Plains wasn't exactly his favorite place in all of Spira so he wanted to get out of here before they got zapped.

Digging into his pocket, Seiki pulled out the Machina that he had told them about. The device looked like a regular scanner; however, it was programmed to pick up the delicate waves that treasure spheres produced. It had to do with the fact that the scanner locked onto the Pyreflies that were harnessed to craft the spheres of yore with in the first place.

The Machina began to go off with Seiki getting a lock on the sphere. He was able to map out the rest as he figured that they only need to walk about two miles sought before they found the sphere.

A cheer escaped from the rest of the Gullwings as they started to travel down the rocky plains.

The road was hardly stable enough to have a steady walk, but they simply had to deal with it. They followed Seiki's lead down the road, hearing the steady roar of the thunder above their heads as they tried not to worry about getting zapped on the spot.

"Mom used to tell stories of dad getting hit by lightning," said Mizuki. "She said that once he got his ten times in a row."

"And how did he survive that?" asked Vidina.

"Lightning proof armor," said Haru. "He eventually got smart and learned how to dodge lightning bolts, but it took a lot of tries before he finally perfected it."

"Now I understand why my mother was so afraid of lightning for so long," said Seiki as he kept his eyes on the tracker.

The quartet kept on walking until they started to hear a soft roar. They knew that there would be Fiends in the area, but they knew that with caution that the Fiends shouldn't bother them.

Seiki kept on leading them towards their destination until the roars got a little too close for comfort.

Realizing that a fight was about to break out, Haru came to a complete stop. He took in a deep breath to pull up the necessary mana to conjure one of many White Magic spells that he learned from his mother. "Protect!" said Haru as webs of blue light began to flicker around each of them. With his spell cast, the magic would provide a barrier from any physical attacks that might be coming their way.

The rest of them armed themselves for battle.

Seiki stuffed his scanner back into his pocket before retrieving a Machina rifle from the holster strapped to his leg. He undid the safety trigger as he kept his rifle raised up, ready to take any shots at a Fiend.

Vidina snapped his fingers to ignite a trail of Black Magic from his hands. Like Haru, he also learned a great deal of magic from his mother. However, his mother, Lulu, was a Master of Black Magic, which made Vidina a particular asset for the types of Fiends that tended to roam the Thunder Plains. He braced himself for whatever might be coming their way now.

As for Mizuki, she ran a hand through her blonde hair before swinging her arm back. Ejected from a storage device strapped to her waist was a longsword, but not just any longsword. The red blade had a particular curve at the top that gave the sword the illusion of being a "j". In her hands was a special sword that her paternal grandfather, Jecht, had used during his days as a Guardian for her maternal grandfather, Braska, before it was passed down to her father. Now, the longsword was in her fully capable hands.

"Come at us, Fiends!" shouted Mizuki, challenging the beasts that roamed the plains.

The roars grew louder as a swarm of Fiends arose from the ground. The majority of the fiends were thick-armored drakes that had flickers of lightning trailing from their bodies. A few helms and lizards were also present to provide a little variety for the target practice.

Mizuki started to cheer as she charged after the Fiends, while Seiki and Vidina followed her example.

She swung her sword at a drake, killing the Fiend before it could spew a blast of thunder from its jaw. The drake immediately burst into a swarm of Pyreflies as her sword ended its misery. Another drake tried to take a bite out of her, but she was able to get out of its way before stabbing the Fiend's hindlegs to do another critical blow.

Vidina moved away from a drake's attack, allowing the creature charge passed him when he felt the humming of magic. He looked back to see a series of marbles gather to form an elemental Fiend made from thunder. "Well, aren't you thirsty, babe," said Vidina. "Why don't you take a sip of WATER!" Raising his arms up into the air, magic began to surge through Vidina's body before he flicked his wrist.

A small tide of water gathered in the air to quench the elemental that floated above. The Fiend died instantly as its weakness was exploited with Vidina casting another Water spell on two drakes to lead to similar results.

Seiki tried things a little differently as he pointed his rifle at a helm. He shot the bulky Fiend to cause it to disperse into Pyreflies before he heard the roar of a drake. Jumping to the side, Seiki locked away his rifle as the Fiend was doubling back to catch him. This time Seiki responded by pulling out a pair of handles from his pockets that began to steel rings. He one of his rings at the drake, killing the Fiend instantly before catching the ring as it was doubling back.

With many of the Fiends falling, the battle seemed to be going swimmingly.

However, that wasn't the case for Haru. He had caught the attention of a helm and how weapon or offensive spell to use against the Fiend. It wasn't going to look good for him until he finally heard Seiki calling out to him. Seiki pulled out a pistol from his person and kicked it over to his cousin.

Catching the pistol, Haru had a means to defend himself. He dropped to one knee and fired one bullet at the incoming helm to kill the Fiend. It seemed fine from there, but the roar of drake told him that wasn't the case. The Fiend was charging towards him and there wasn't enough time to get out of the way so Haru responded by turning his arm and fired three shots at the Fiend.

The drake's death came with it vanishing into a swirl of Pyreflies that rushed right passed Haru as the last of the Fiends finally fell.

"Well that was exhilarating," said Vidina as he threw his arms over his head. "Anyone feel like going for round two?"

There was mutual groan from the group followed with Mizuki actually kicking Vidina's ass.

Seiki pulled out his scanner once more and notified them that they were in the general vicinity of the treasure sphere. Now, they just had to look for a place where a treasure sphere could possibly be hidden.

It was never in just plain sight, something that Mizuki and Seiki have learned since joining the Gullwings. Sphere hunting required a little more tact then that as spheres could only be found in "special" places that were always off the beaten path. In their case, they were on an extra beaten path as they looked around until they found something of interest.

A broken tower stood in the distance, but that wasn't the most peculiar part. It appeared lightning had struck that particular area multiple times that it exposed an underground tunnel that was practically screaming to them the location of a treasure sphere.

"We have to go underground now, don't we?" asked Haru.

Seiki and Mizuki nodded their heads with joyful smiles on their faces as the two of them raced towards the tunnel. This didn't exactly scream like the smartest thing in the world to do. While Vidina was excited enough, he knew that running head first into a possible den of Fiends was never a good idea. Therefore, without any other choice, Vidina and Haru followed their "superior" Gullwings example as they approached the tunnel.

* * *

Wandering into the cavern, the Gullwings were putting themselves in danger by being here. Still, this is where the scanner told them the sphere was so they had to at least give it chance before doubling back. They were prepared to leave if things got too dangerous, but they wanted to see if it was possible to snag them a sphere before they were pushed to that point.

Seiki kept his scanner held up as he looked around for anything. He kept following where the signal was telling them to go until it finally went dark. "You've got to be kidding me!" said Seiki. "My scanner died on me! We're so close to finding the sphere though!"

"Um…cousin, put the scanner down," said Mizuki as she tapped him on the shoulder.

The Al Bhed groaned, frustrated, until he saw what his cousin was trying to point out. A smirk grew on his face as he saw a sphere imbedded into a nearby wall that they would've easily had passed. The sphere hunters were almost ready to charge after the sphere when they heard a low growl in the dark cavern.

Vidina sent out a few fireballs into the air to illuminate the dark space for them until they saw a mixture of Pyreflies arising. The Gullwings stumbled back as the Pyreflies whirled around the sphere before them. The mystical energies grew in this place with Vidina and Haru growing mildly terrified as they knew a Fiend was about to arise.

"You find a sphere and the Fiend appears," said Mizuki as she drew out her sword.

The Pyreflies continued to dance until a Fiend was born. The creature that stood before them was a tall, metal giant that bore a large sword in its hand. A hollow growl escaped from the Fiend as it held its weapon up, slamming it down to the ground.

The Gullwings stepped back from the Fiend as they assessed the situation. Was the sphere really worth going after or would it be best to flee?

Mizuki seemed to think the former as she clenched her sword and charged after the Fiend. The giant had yet to recover from its display of strength, providing the young woman with the opportunity to slash it back. Her sword dragged against its thick frame, but the damage done was at the bare minimum.

The Fiend regained its bearings as it slashed its sword forward to strike Mizuki back. However, she was able to avoid getting hit as she back further away from the Fiend.

"Armor that powerful can't be destroyed by a sword alone!" said Haru as he conjured Protect spells over everyone.

Seiki took out his steel rings, holding up his weapons as the Fiend started to approach them. "My rings should be strong enough to pierce its hide! Let's see how these bad boys do!" shouted the young man. Tossing the steel rings forward, Seiki allowed his weapons to fly free. The rings flew freely until they smashed into the torso of the metal giant, leaving a faint mark on it. Seiki caught them both with one hand on their return trip before holding up his rifle to damage the spot where his rings struck the giant.

Seeing this as an opportunity, Haru took out the pistol that his cousin had given him as well to provide support fire. While he might not be the most skilled fighter out there, what Haru did have was a good idea that made him a fantastic shooter. His aim was perfect as he struck the spot where Seiki done damage to the Fiend with multiple shots.

The metal giant started to stumble backward, but still showed no sign of giving up completely.

Vidina stepped to the front of the group as he raised his arms up. He took in a deep breath to call upon his magic as fire ignited in the palm of his hands. "You guys did great in damaging its armor," said Vidina, "now it's my turn to weaken it! Once I give you the signal, Mizuki, hit the Fiend with all of your might!" He turned his head back for a second to see that she was totally willing to go for it.

Hurling the fire at the Fiend, Vidina made the blow as hot as possible. The fireballs struck the Fiend at the damaged spot on its chest. The Fiend began to growl further as the integrity of its armor was virtually gone.

Vidina stepped aside now, giving Mizuki her cue to go after the Fiend. She clenched her sword with both hands as she charged after the Fiend with a loud yell escaping her mouth. She leapt after the Fiend and drove her sword against the weakened armor to strike the Fiend at its center, making her blow a fatal one.

Landing on the ground behind the Fiend, Mizuki swung her sword to the side just as the Fiend began to burst into a series of Pyreflies. The gentle cry of the Pyreflies marked the end of the battle as it faded into the Farplane.

The Gullwings proved themselves a fully capable team of teenagers that were able to handle a tough Fiend.

Haru ran over towards his sister, immediately concerned for her when he noticed a trickle of blood running down her arm. It did seem that the giant did in fact manage to nick her during the fight. "Cure!" he shouted as he hurled an orb of light at her. Mizuki turned back just as the light hit her, causing swirling lights to encircle around part of her body to pour healing energy into her being.

Seiki and Vidina joined the rest of the team as they pointed out their prize on the wall. The treasure sphere was waiting for them, ripe for the picking.

"Too the victors go the spoils!" said Seiki with a cheerful grin on his face.

"And that would be us!" said Vidina as he thrusted his hip out.

Nodding their heads, Mizuki and Haru were in agreement with the rest of the team as they went over to the sphere to pluck it out from the wall.

* * *

The glow of the treasure sphere sparkled lovely in Paine's hands as she gazed upon her team's successful mission. While she wasn't exactly thrilled by the trouble that they had to go through to get the sphere, she was glad that they were all safe aboard the ship.

Mizuki and Seiki bounced behind their fearless leader as their eyes practically sparkled from their prize. They kept going on about the massive Fiend that they had to kill to get it, but they kept proclaiming that it was no big deal at all to stomp the beast. They would gladly go through the trial again, which was something that Haru and Vidina knew was a complete lie. Out of the four of them, Mizuki and Seiki had screamed the loudest when they first saw that Fiend.

"Crack that sucker open so we can see what's inside!" cheered Seiki.

"Yeah! Maybe it'll show us the location of buried treasure!" said Mizuki.

"Or a new airship!" said Seiki.

"Or a colossal fortress that we can name Chateau Gullwings!" yelled Mizuki.

"Will you two shut up already?" said Paine. "You're giving me a bigger headache then Rikku and Brother used to give me."

Silencing themselves, Mizuki and Seiki backed away as they knew that Paine's scary voice was followed by hitting. They didn't want to risk getting smacked around by their leader as they hid behind the other two Gullwings.

Paine placed the sphere on the reader so that they could examine their prize. With the sphere safely inserted into the reader, Paine clicked the monitor on to show them a larger image of the memory stored inside of the sphere.

_A fuzzy picture was the first thing that the Gullwings saw as they also heard the roar of some kind of Machina. The picture was still distorted but it started to clear itself up enough as the team spotted what appeared like a Machina vehicle coming to a halt in what looked like the Thunder Plains._

_Then came a woman in a long, silky robe that barely covered her body. Her long, silver hair flowed down to her back as she carried herself around with an air of sophistication. There seemed to be more to this woman as Paine could recognize her from somewhere._

"_We will hide the stone here," said the woman. "No one will ever search for it this deep into the Thunder Plains."_

"_Do you think it is wise to hide it though, my lady?" said a man's voice. "What if it is needed should your father's plans fail?"_

_The woman turned, her face baring a scowl as she glared at the man. "You mustn't say such things, Zaon!" said the woman. "We must have faith in my father's plans!"_

_There was a collected gasp from the Gullwings as a man entered the picture. He was heavily armored and appeared to be just as noble as the woman was. However, he didn't seem to be as confident about this plan as she was._

"_Yunalesca," said the man, Zaon, "this plan is dangerous! Bevelle has wronged Zanarkand, but this plan…it doesn't respect the people that we claim to be defending!"_

"_Zanarkand is doomed, my husband," said Yunalesca. "The only way we can save our home is through my father's plan. If Zanarkand can live, even if only as a dream, then so be it. I will do everything in my power to preserve that dream for eternity even if it means the corruption of my soul!"_

"_My love," whispered Zaon as the image died out._

The Gullwings were astonished by what they had just seen. They all knew enough of Spira's history to understand that the sphere that they had was worth the airship's weight in Gil!

Mizuki's jaw dropped as she plucked the sphere up from the reader. "This…this sphere is a recording of Lady Yunalesca and Lord Zaon!" she said, purely awestruck. "I can't believe that we found something so rare! Do you have any idea of what this means?"

"The sphere talks of the Machina War!" said Haru as he approached his older sister. "It…it even mentions Yevon's plan to create Sin and Dream Zanarkand!"

"This is incredible!" said Vidina.

"We're gonna be so rich!" cheered Seiki.

"We're getting rid of it!" said Paine.

The teens were immediately taken back by what Paine just said. They all at once began to swarm her with Mizuki making it clear that she would fight to defend this sphere.

Paine wasn't budging though as she pushed them all back. She snatched the sphere from Mizuki's hands as she started to make her way towards the course-directory. "Did you not listen to the sphere?" said Paine. "They hid something in the Thunder Plains, something powerful. This something was capable of derailing their plans to summon Sin!"

Trembling a little, a thought popped its way into Seiki's mind as he tried to imagine what could be so powerful to topple Sin. "What could be capable of doing that?" said Seiki. "It's not another Machina like Vegnagun…is it?"

"Don't know," said Paine. "Don't want to find out. We're gonna take this sphere to the Council and let this be their problem."

A collected sigh escaped from the team as they knew what that meant. They weren't getting anything for the sphere that they worked so hard to get.

But then again, the contents of the sphere wasn't exactly a good thing either. There was still a lot of mistrust in the Teachings of Yevon after everyone learned of the truth about Yu Yevon. What the sphere hunters had was even more proof of the lengths that Yu Yevon was willing to go to ensure the successful summoning of the monster that would plague Spira for a thousand years.

The burden of this sphere was too great for them so the Gullwings agreed that it would be best to be rid of it.

The course was set; their destination was Bevelle!


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: WOOO! I'm not sure what else to say other than I'm thankful to everyone who's read, favorited, and reviewed so far! I hope y'all enjoy this chapter too! Read and review!**

**Secret Keeper:**

The holy city of Bevelle, the Machina city that was partly responsible for the birth of Sin, stood at the center of Spira. It was here that the Spiran Council held their meetings, and for a thousand years Summoners would come to the city on their pilgrimage to pray at the temple.

Bevelle hadn't changed much in the fifteen years since the start of the Eternal Calm. After being partly rebuilt after Sin fell on top of the city during the final battle, the city itself was unchanged after the reconstruction. However, it was the internal structure of the political base that had been devastated following the Calm. The Church of Yevon fell into disrepute after Yuna's pilgrimage revealed the truth about the temples for all Spirans.

New Yevon was made as an effort to erase some of the bad ties, while also maintaining the status quo that Spira had known for a thousand years. Baralai did much to maintain the balance, especially by proposing the formation of the Council following the battle with the Unsent, Shuyin, and the Machina, Vegnagun. The effort to show that Yevon could change with the time as well as to steadily reveal the secrets it's kept for the past thousand years has helped to keep peace, but that peace was fragile.

Landing in the city, the Celsius was granted special clearance due to the Gullwings' special status. The sphere hunters were granted far more privileges than any other group in Spira because of Yuna and her children. The Gullwings was well respected throughout Spira because of High Summoner Yuna, the Mother of the Eternal Calm, which naturally carried onto her children, Mizuki and Haru.

Paine exited from the Celsius first to find higher officials from the Council already there to greet the Gullwings. The rest of the team started to make their way out of the airship to see the crowd of people there to welcome them to the city. They stood on the rooftop of the Bevelle Temple where a private airstrip had been constructed for an airship. It was a new feature, one that did come in handy during these unexpected meetings.

The officials bowed before the Sphere Hunters as Paine started to walk passed them all. Mizuki followed close, leaning towards her brother as they made their way towards the Council's Chambers. "Do they even know why we're here?" asked Mizuki.

"Maybe," said Haru as he carried the sphere in his hands. "Baralai might've told them the purpose of our coming here."

The Gullwings stopped outside of the entrance to the Council's Chambers.

Paine turned her sights onto her crew since they were about to enter the chambers. She stopped them, while taking the sphere of Lady Yunalesca and Lord Zaon away from Haru. "As much as I like you, kids," said Paine, "I think its best I go in alone. Baralai and I have history together. It'll be easier to get any information out of him if I do this without you all with me."

Haru was about to protest since he was the Council's Neutral Speaker, but Mizuki pulled him back. She nudged her brother to just leave it be since it was probably for the best that Paine did this on her own.

Scratching his face, Vidina couldn't help but to feel like something bad was about to happen. He wasn't exactly sure if it was just because of the contents of the sphere or if Paine might do something a little reckless. "You don't plan on hurting the Praetor, do you?" asked Vidina.

"Not unless he refuses to talk," Paine said with a light chuckle escaping her throat.

Seiki shrugged his shoulders since he didn't see this as a big deal. "Alright then! Good luck with trying to get our buddy, Baralai, to talk!" said the Al Bhed teen. "If you need us, we'll be in the city!" He wrapped his arms around his cousins while trying to get hold of Vidina too. The four of them were all bunched up together with the Al Bhed teen still instating on being as loud as possible. "Don't worry about us, Captain! We'll try not to get into too much trouble!"

A deep sigh escaped from her throat as Paine begged the teens to not start any trouble in the city. She left them with that request as she took the sphere and entered the Council's Chambers without her teenage Sphere Hunters.

* * *

Down with the average citizens, the Gullwings found themselves outside of Bevelle's political center. They made it down to the Market District where most people could be found on a typical day, exploring the shops and taverns. This was also the home of the finest inns in the entire city where the wealthy would spend their days outside of their estates or penthouses.

The start of the Eternal Calm brought a more colorful bunch to the city. No longer was Bevelle just the holy city full of scholars and priests, but now it was a cultural and economic center where new industries were constantly booming. Bevelle continued to have an edge over all of the places in Spira due to the sheer fact that it remained the only Machina City left untouched by Sin since its birth.

"Where to first?" asked Seiki as he skipped down the street.

The Al Bhed teen kept his goggles off since he had nothing to fear. Before the Eternal Calm, the Al Bhed had been persecuted as heretics by Yevon so none would dare to walk the streets so openly as Seiki was. Now though, there were plenty of Al Bhed living in the city, learning about Bevelle's ancient Machina as well as helping to expand the city's influence. Seiki knew absolutely nothing of the suffering that his parents had to go through as he wandered freely.

Vidina had to restrain the blond from crashing into a fruit cart due to his wandering aimlessly. "If you keep this up," said Vidina, "you'll end up getting yourself hurt! You seriously need to start paying attention to where you're going, Seiki!"

"I'm sorry, V," said Seiki.

Mizuki and Haru stood in the middle of the city, oddly enough, not attracting the type of crowds that they were used to. Nearly everyone in Spira knew who they were and exactly what they looked like. So it was never a surprise to see a crowd of people trying to get blessing from the siblings or getting a picture/autograph with them.

That was just one of the burdens of being the High Summoner's children.

Today though, either nobody cared or no one recognized them.

"I guess we can finally be normal people today!" said Mizuki as she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure how I feel about that, little brother."

"Well, I'm relieved," said Haru as he moved his hands behind his back. "Now, I have the chance to return to my apartment in the city without anyone trying to bother me."

"You mean your cheap ass home in the slums?" laughed Seiki.

Haru knocked his cousin in the shoulder for saying such a thing. While it was true that Haru didn't live in the part of the city where the wealthy lived even though he could afford to, he didn't want to. Instead, Haru chose to live amongst the average persons in the city, but he didn't live in the slums as Seiki so gently put it.

The brown-haired teen stepped away from the rest of his team as he decided to go home to retrieve some of his belongings. He didn't exactly get a chance to pack since his final meeting with the Council and starting his new journey with the Gullwings. There were a few loose ends that he needed to tie up before they went any further on their mission across Spira, mainly it was just packing his belongings and getting someone to take care of his precious plants.

"Do you want me to go with you?" asked Vidina.

"No, I'll be fine by myself," said Haru. "Besides, I could use some time alone."

"Alright, little brother," said Mizuki as she leaned towards him. "Be careful though! There are a lot of pickpockets on the streets lately."

"Yeah there is!" said Seiki as he threw his fist up into the air. "Don't be afraid to shoot them in the face with the pistol that I gave you!"

Haru thanked his cousin for the reminder as he waved them off. They all decided to make arrangements to meet at one of the more popular bars in the city once Haru was done with his business back home.

While they were at it, Mizuki made sure to send a message to Paine where she could meet them once her meeting with the Praetor was done with. Hopefully by the time that Haru got back to them then Paine would be on her way as well. Mizuki wasn't exactly a fan of Bevelle in the way that her brother was. She was more like her mother as she didn't exactly trust the city due to its checkered past and the vast quantities of secrets hidden beneath the surface.

Once more, Haru waved everyone off as he made his took off on his own.

* * *

The walk towards his apartment was rather uneventful. Haru made his arrangements as he grabbed everything that he needed and packed it into a bag. He slung the bag over his shoulders as he made his way back towards the tavern where the rest of the party was waiting for him.

Brushing a hand through his hair, Haru looked around the city as he noticed it was getting a little darker. The streets of Bevelle weren't the safest place to be at night so he needed to get back to the rest of the group pronto.

Haru clung onto his bag a little tighter as he turned the corner of the emptying streets.

The Sphere Hunter wasn't sure what to expect when he spotted a group of four men walking on the opposite side of the street. His instincts told him to expect trouble as he reached out for the pistol that Seiki had gave him earlier that day. When he reached for the holster though, he discovered that the gun wasn't there.

He had left his weapon on the Celsius!

Haru briefly turned his head towards the group of guys as they were starting to walk towards him. Trouble was coming so he needed to think fast. It was a good thing that he knew the streets well enough to find an alternative route with hopes of losing the men that were stalking him.

Taking a sharp turn down a corner, Haru knew a shortcut to the tavern. He started to make his way down the streets when the men that he spotted earlier blocked his shortcut.

"Just my luck," mumbled Haru, softly.

"Hand us the bag, kid," said one of the guys as he held up a knife.

The cliché robber scenario played before Haru. He had seen this scene enough times on the cheesy sphere shows. The men were an even bigger cliché as they were dressed in black and kept their faces hidden behind white masks.

Only one of them appeared to be armed, which is what Haru thought was to his advantage. Disarming that one would provide him with the chance to overcome his would-be muggers.

Haru slung the bag across his shoulder to show that he wasn't about to give up to their intimidation. The men took that as a challenge as they charged towards him. He threw his bag off just as the first mugger reached him.

Throwing his arm out, Haru managed to punch the man in the face before kicking him in the groin. He found the next mugger and grabbed hold of his wrist to throw the mugger over his shoulder. He was really glad that Mizuki taught him how to do that.

However, one of the muggers grabbed hold of him, providing the one with the knife to try and get Haru. The teen pushed the man grappling him back to avoid getting the knife plunged into his chest. The two of them crashed into a nearby wall with Haru using this opportunity to use his legs kick the knife away from his mugger's hand.

The disadvantage that Haru was in wasn't exactly pretty. The muggers kept their grip on him as they tried to make way for his bag.

"Let me go, fucker!" shouted Haru as he tried to break free. Unfortunately for him that his mugger was stronger than he was.

Haru kept trying to fight but the muggers were going to get what they wanted. Or at least that's what they had in mind.

As Haru let out another scream, a burst of light flew in the middle of the alley.

They were all briefly blinded with the mugger releasing Haru from his grip. He collapsed to the ground and managed to land near his bag when he heard yelling down the alley.

The light faded with another man appearing just as the muggers were getting back on their feet. It was hard for Haru to see everything, but he could tell that the man was on his side.

One of the muggers gave out a loud cry as Haru clearly heard something snap.

The mugger reached out to grab the man, still dizzy and half-blind, only to get a fist in his face. He then felt the sharp pain of a punch to the gut followed by an elbow blow to the spine.

The other mugger was stumbling towards the wall when he got kicked in the back. His face crashed first against the wall with him collapsing to the ground as he passed out.

The last of the muggers managed to regain most of his vision as he realized that the situation wasn't looking good for him. He started to run away, trying to get out of here before the man could beat him up like his friends. However, when the man made it down the alley, he got an unexpected surprise when his face met a face full of steel, causing him to fall to the ground.

Haru blinked for just a second and got his sight back when he spotted a new face in front of him. His rescuer was kneeling down before him with a soft smile on his face. The pale-skinned man appeared to be the same age as Haru, if not a little older. His wavy, blond curls were cut flawlessly to show off his rugged face and his gentle, blue eyes.

The young man was dressed in a red tunic with dark pants. A sword and sheath was strapped to his waist, a weapon he hadn't needed to use in his fight. He cracked his gloved knuckles before extending a hand out to Haru.

"You're dress oddly, Speaker Haru," said the young man. "I wouldn't expect the son of the High Summoner to be dressed in such revealing clothing." The young man briefly eyed the outfit that Haru had on as he helped the teen up. Haru couldn't help but to feel a little embarrassed by what he was wearing now. "I have to assume that's why these men were too foolish to recognize who you were. However, I do have to question why you wandered the streets unarmed."

Haru turned away, clinging onto his bag as he looked into the young man's eyes. Another cliché passed before Haru's eyes as he found himself drawn to this young man immediately. "My sister forced me to dress like this," he said, softly. The young man was incredibly handsome; Haru couldn't help but to feel a little weak in the knees as he smiled at this young man. "Umm…thank you for helping me."

"Arthur," said the young man. "My name is Arthur."

Arthur continued to smile as well. He couldn't help but to feel similar sentiments as he started to walk Haru out of the alley, while the muggers groaned in agony.

The last mugger at the end of the street was groaning something fierce just as a heel was pressed into his back.

A young woman appeared on the scene, wearing violet robes as she curried a staff in her hands. The top of the staff had metal rings on it that she had used to strike the mugger in the face before had a chance to escape. Her dark curls bounced her way down her shoulders as her robes hugged her curvy form.

The dark eyes of this fair-skinned woman were almost magical as she gazed upon the two boys that were leaving the alley.

"I see you've found your damsel, big brother," said the young woman. "Is he no longer in distress? I would like to get something to eat before morning comes."

"You're as charming as ever, Morgana," said Arthur as he released Haru's hand. He went over towards her side as he found himself looking over towards Haru. The young woman draped her arm over his shoulder as she set her dark eyes onto the teen that they went through the trouble of saving. "Now, Morgana, this is Haru, the son of High Summoner Yuna. You might not recognize him since he's dressed like…well; I'm not sure what he's dressed like."

"I'm a Sphere Hunter now," said Haru as he held onto his bag.

Morgana raised an eyebrow as she took her heel off the injured mugger. She started to smile while she shook Haru's hand. "What a coincidence," said Morgana, "so are we. I'm assuming that you're with the Gullwings since your mother was one." Briefly, she paused before making a small bow. "Praise be to Lady Yuna!"

This was something that wasn't uncommon for Haru to hear. He had been hearing it since his mother had passed away. It was a small way that Spirans could pay respect to the woman who had ended the thousand-year torment of Sin.

"Well, that's wonderful," said Haru. "Hopefully, our groups won't have to fight over a sphere that we both want."

"Hopefully not," said Arthur with a wide smile on his face.

Haru couldn't help but to blush as he saw the way that Arthur looked at him. Morgana could only roll her eyes at her brother. Once again, her brother made the dangerous mistake of falling head over heels in love with someone that he barely knew. If Mizuki were here, she'd probably be thinking the same thing about her brother too.

For now though, Haru blurted out that the two of them should join him at the tavern with his friends. He wanted to spend more time around Arthur so he figured that this was his best chance to do just that!

* * *

As usual, Mizuki was troublesome at a tavern. She stood on top of a table with a crowd of folks cheering her own as she slammed her fourth drink down like it was nothing. The young woman was a proud drinker and fully able to hold her liquor down. Like her grandfather, Jecht, Mizuki knew how to throw it down, but unlike him, she understood where to draw the line.

In particular, she never drank so much that her kidneys died on her.

The crowd got a little rowdy for the blonde as she took her latest drink from the bartender.

Seiki and Vidina sat at a far end of the tavern, knowing better than to get in her way. They sipped away at their drink, while they waited for Haru to get back. Since they couldn't get her to stop, they knew that her younger brother could get her to behave.

The volume of people grew, cheering for the High Summoner's daughter. Mizuki gleefully took all their praise as she downed her glass and tossed it into the hands of a nearby spectator.

After another round of drinks, the front entrance to the bar opened up with Haru stepping in with his bag over his shoulders. Arthur and Morgana were following behind him as they all noticed the particular volume at which the crowd was screaming. They didn't have any particular idea what was going on as Haru led the siblings towards his teammates.

Seiki and Vidina spotted their companion from across the bar. The Al Bhed held up his drink when he took notice of the other two people with Haru. "Who're your friends, cousin?" asked Seiki as he tore himself away from his drink. "You never told us that you had friends in the city."

"They're new friends," Haru said, calmly. "Umm…Arthur here saved me from getting mugged. And this is his younger sister Morgana. They're Sphere Hunters too."

"Hey," said Arthur and Morgana.

Vidina waved at them both as he pulled up a couple of extra chairs for everyone. They all took a seat at the table when it dawned on Vidina what Haru just said. "You were mugged!" shouted Vidina. "Holy crap, Haru! This is why we don't allow you to wander off on your own!"

"Little Haru was lucky that we happened to have gotten lost," said Arthur as he leaned against the table. "I was happy to help though."

Haru felt a little embarrassed by what Arthur just said. Between the name-calling and the whole acting like a knight in shining armor, it caused Haru to get a little red. "By the way," said Haru, blushing a little. "Where is my sister?"

A deep sigh escaped from Seiki and Vidina as they pointed at the table where Mizuki was currently dancing on top of. While Haru might've thought he was embarrassed by Arthur's teasing, he knew for a fact that he was embarrassed by the scene that his older sister was making. The teen's eyes went wide as he couldn't believe that this was the first impression that Arthur was getting of his family.

"Well then," Morgana said, chuckling, "who knew that the High Summoner's daughter was such a…free spirit?"

Mizuki started to scream at the top of her lungs, stealing a shot glass away from one of her adoring fans just as Haru stormed towards her to get her down from the table.

* * *

Inside the Council Chambers, Paine waited anxiously for Baralai to arrive. She held the treasure sphere in her hand as she gazed at the thing for what she hoped was the last time. The contents of the sphere continued to make her nervous as she tried to figure out what to expect from it this time.

The last time they found a sphere this vital, the Gullwings ended up getting caught in Shuyin's nightmare. Paine didn't want to get caught up in the torment of another thousand-year-old Unsent that was hellbent on making all of Spira pay for the crimes that it claimed were committed against it because of the Machina War.

Somehow, Paine felt like that was the territory that they were wandering into by uncovering this sphere.

"It never seems to fail that we find a sphere like this," Paine said with a deep sigh.

"What did you find this time?"

The halls began to echo as Baralai arrived to the chambers where Paine waited for him. The Praetor smiled at the Sphere Hunter as she presented a treasure sphere to him. She barely even had to warn him that he might not like what he had to see as he took hold of it.

Her old war buddy had a bad feeling about what he was about to watch. Spheres were never a good thing, especially when exchanged between the former Crimson Squad candidates and their Recorder.

Baralai gazed into the sphere as he saw the contents of it for himself. His eyes widened upon seeing the thousand-year-old images of Lady Yunalesca and Lord Zaon. This was something that would be treasured by all of the scholars and priests of Spira despite it being such a short and vague entry into their lost history.

The images came to a close with Baralai having an idea of why Paine was here.

"You think I know what Lady Yunalesca could've been talking about?" said Baralai.

The grim expression that grew on Paine's face said it all. She had a feeling in her gut that he knew something, but he had to burst her bubble some.

Baralai held onto the sphere as he walked away from the table in the dark room as he tried to figure out a way to explain things. The glowing Yevon script on the wall was the only thing around to provide any illumination in this dark place. "Unfortunately, Dr. P, I have no idea what Yunalesca could've been talking about," said Baralai. "The contents of the sphere are just too vague for me to even know where to begin. I can try to find something, but without a few more details then it would be impossible to figure things out."

"Yevon has too many secrets then for you to know where to start?" said Paine.

That grim saying was true.

Yevon was full of secrets, a thousand years' worth of secrets if not more. The Bevelle Underground and Vegnagun was just the tip of the iceberg.

"I'm afraid your right, Paine," said Baralai. "We are surrounded by so many secrets that it would take probably a century to figure out where to begin."

"Then I should keep you in the loop in case we find another sphere like that one?" asked Paine. "Considering the Gullwings' luck, we'll probably find that sphere within a week."

A light chuckle escaped from her old friend as he had to agree with that. He took possession of the sphere, thanking Paine for bringing it to him.

Baralai promised to lock the sphere away until they got more details about it. "Take care of yourself, my friend," said the Praetor. "Lady Yunalesca may have had a good reason to hide the things that she did. Their power could spell trouble for us if it fell into the wrong hands like Vegnagun."

That sentiment was shared as Paine promised to do so. She bid her farewells to her friend as she left the chambers, unsure if she should be relieved or terrified by how little that he knew.

Those feelings were mutual as Baralai was gravely concerned of what Paine and the Gullwings had potentially discovered. The sphere in his hands could bring a great deal of suffering to Spira or be the key to their salvation. He had no idea what to expect as he had a terrible feeling in his gut that the Machina sightings and this sphere might be connected to each other.

All Baralai could do right now was pray that wasn't true as he left the chamber.


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: HOT OFF THE PRESSES! Just joking. Anyways, here is a brand new chapter for "The Lost Millennium"! Other update though. The fic will go to bi-monthly updating since I will also switch "Dark Horse" into bi-monthly as well. I'm gonna work full-time for the summer then I'm starting grad school in the fall so the stories will just have to be pushed on the back burner. On a happier note, I will try hard to at least make sure I update one of my stories at least once a week since I know many of my readers/followers for this fic also read "Dark Horse". Well, that's its for me. Read and review! I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Ronso's Revenge: **

Plastered on a table with heavy groans escaping from her body, Mizuki did everything in her power to overcome her wicked hangover. The quantity of alcohol that she had consumed the last night was remarkably foolish on her part. She couldn't believe that she had followed through with the crowds' request of getting her hammered, knowing damn well how awful hangovers were.

Then again, this wasn't the first time that this happened to her.

It seemed that anytime that Mizuki went to any tavern that she ended up completely drunk. And the next day, she was forced to deal with the consequences, which took the form of a vicious hangover. The fact that the Celsius was in motion as the airship sailed over Spira only made her headache even worse.

"Kill me now!" cried Mizuki as she buried her face into her blanket.

Paine arrived into the cabin that had been renovated since she first became a Gullwing.

The cabin's first floor still kept its stage and various table, but the kitchen had a slight face-lift so that it wasn't so wooden. There were more metals and granite used to help accent its features as well as to keep everything secure while the ship was in motion. The bar area also wasn't quite as large as it had been to help increase the amount of living space available for everyone.

The second floor of the cabin also underwent an expansion to include six bedrooms and two bathrooms. The bedrooms weren't terribly big, but at least two people could sleep comfortably inside each room. Of course, everyone had their own bedrooms since there wasn't a need to pile everyone up into a single room so that helped to give everyone their own space.

Rolling her eyes at the hungover teen, Paine felt no sympathy for Mizuki at all. She turned towards Haru as he was rubbing his sister's back while Seiki and Vidina enjoyed their breakfast. "I'm assuming she didn't listen to herself again," said Paine, knowing how Mizuki function. It was under this assumption that Paine also figured that Mizuki took after her father's side of the family versus her mother's side. "No matter. Let her suffer. Boys, I need you on the bridge so we can find us our next sphere."

"Yes, ma'am!" shouted the men of the Gullwings.

"Make the room stop spinning!" cried Mizuki from underneath her blanket.

The boys tried to mock Mizuki, but Paine threatened to kick their asses if they had done so. Not wanting that to happen, the boys followed Paine up to the bridge as they left Mizuki to her drunken pain.

Arriving to the bridge, everyone began to move off to their stations.

Haru went over towards his monitor as he watched for any changes in the sphere waves. He had a soft grin on his face as he thought about last night, which had gone for better for him then his charming sister.

After pulling Mizuki down from the table, Haru found some alone time with Arthur. The two boys spent half the night talking about themselves, while Mizuki was trying to hammer more drinks as she challenge Morgana to a drinking contest. Seiki and Vidina had to do everything in their power to keep Mizuki out of trouble, which got easier when Paine arrived.

Haru had to bid farewell to the handsome blond and his sister. It was a shame that Haru didn't know where Arthur was taking off for, but he knew that since they were both Sphere Hunters that they'd run into each other again sooner or later.

Seiki briefly glanced over to his cousin, noting how love-struck he was. It was rather adorable, but he had a bad feeling about that Arthur kid. He kept those feelings to himself though since he didn't know much about Arthur to begin with to pass judgment. So he focused instead on the monitors to see if he could pick up another treasure sphere.

Looking at the monitors, Vidina didn't exactly have any idea what he was doing. He wasn't a Machina expert like the rest of his companions so he was currently feeling like the weakest link when he leaned in closer towards one of the monitors. "That seems different," whispered Vidina. What he was looking at was an increasing frequency of sphere waves. It didn't seem too out of the ordinary until a massive ringing started to go off of the bridge. "I didn't touch anything!"

"We're receiving a transmission!" shouted Seiki from his station as he worked on figuring out where it was from. "Let's see. I got it! It's coming from Mt. Gagazet."

"Ronso land?" said Paine. "Pull up the transmission, Seiki."

The Al Bhed teen did just that as he opened up the transmission for them to hear.

While they didn't have a visual report, they did at least have audio. The rough growl of a Ronso's voice was the first thing that the party heard when they finally heard the Ronso speak.

"Gullwings, Elder Kimahri asks for aid," said a Ronso. "Trouble brews on Mt. Gagazet! We, Ronso, need help!"

The transmission ended there without any more specifics on what was going on. The news was troubling enough though as everyone in the room was well aware of the trouble that the Ronso had gone through in the past.

Haru covered his heart with his hand as he started to pray. Elder Kimahri of the Ronso Tribe was one of his mother's Guardians during her pilgrimage; he was her first Guardian. Haru didn't want to think of anything horrible happening to the Ronso, which is why he turned towards Paine.

"What are your orders, Paine?" asked Vidina as he held similar feelings to Haru.

There was no point in hesitating. The Gullwings and the Ronso were friends; Paine wasn't about to abandon them in their moment of need. "You heard the transmission," said Paine. "The Ronso need help so set course for Mt. Gagazet!"

Seiki cheered as he followed Paine's orders to the letter. He set their destination with the Celsius's engines as they flew towards the home of the Ronso Tribe.

* * *

Flying across the Spiran skies, the Celsius eventually reached the snowy base of Mt. Gagazet.

The Gullwings, joined by Paine, landed on the mountain base where the members of the Ronso Tribe were most likely to be found. Paine locked her sword away in its hilt as she approached the jagged slopes of the mountain. She had her eyes set on the primary entrance to the mountain where the Ronso Elder typically stood guard of.

Haru and the others followed her, passing by the ruined pillars of a time long forgotten. They shivered against the cold, huddling into the thick jackets that they brought with them as they all also changed into pants. Mizuki, in particular, was extremely miserable in the cold as her hangover was having violent reactions to the cold.

Paine kept to the front of the party until they eventually found the Ronso people.

The race of lion-like creatures stood before the Mountain Gate. They were all dressed in light-armor with their strong features possible of frightening most humans. However, the Ronso were not as vicious as they appeared. While they were physical powerful and quick to anger because of their pride, the Ronso kept to themselves for the most part. In their long history, they never sought out war amongst themselves or any of the other races in Spira.

Until Seymour Guado committed genocide against the Ronso. At the height of his power, the Maester of Yevon tried to eliminate the Ronso as they had prevented him from taking Yuna to Zanarkand where he would attain the power to become the next Sin. The Ronso bravely fought against Seymour, but they were easily slaughtered by this corrupted man.

The Ronso never forgave the Guado for what Seymour had done to them. The Ronso Maester was amongst Seymour's casualties, forcing all ties between the Ronso and Yevon to be severed.

A Ronso Youth, Garik, nearly led an army of Ronso against the Guado following the start of the Eternal Calm. Had Yuna and the Gullwings not stopped him then it surely would've led to the complete genocide of the entire Guado race as they had accepted their death after all of the evil that Seymour had committed in life.

Standing amongst his people, Elder Kimahri Ronso was a powerful symbol and leader of the proud Ronso. He stood shorter than all of the other male Ronso with his broken horn being the reason why he knew grew to his full potential. However, Kimahri remained strong despite this and was one of High Summoner Yuna's Guardians during her pilgrimage to save Spira. In fact, he was her first Guardian since he took Yuna from Bevelle at the start of her father, Braska's, Calm to Besaid.

Kimahri started to approach Paine and the rest of the Gullwings. In his older years, he traded in his armor for lengthy robes in honor of the position of power that he had claimed to rebuild his shattered people. "Gullwings, Kimahri is happy to have you here," said the Ronso Elder. "We, Ronso, need your help."

"What's wrong, Kimahri?" asked Haru.

"A Ronso pup has gone off on her own," said Kimahri. "Her name is Korra. She is full of anger and hate for the Guado."

Raising his arms to the back of his neck, Seiki started to get a bad feeling about this. He didn't see a way how this story could end well for anyone. "Oh man," said Seiki. "Still with the poor race relations. Did she run off to Guadosalam then?"

Kimahri shook his head as it was far worse than that. "A Guado family and their Guardian came to sacred Mt. Gagazet yesterday. They asked for permission to climb the mountain and pray to the Fayth Scar," said Kimahri. "Elder Kimahri allowed the Guado to climb the mountain with the mountain to judge them of the pureness of their hearts. However, Korra did not accept that; she cannot forgive the Guado for the death of her family. She has gone off on her own and intends on murdering the Guado family."

"No way!" shouted Mizuki.

"Why haven't you gone after her, Kimahri?" asked Vidina.

Before the Elder could answer, Paine already knew why that was. "If Kimahri intervenes and the family dies," said Paine, "then the Guado could take that as an act of war. None of the Ronso can stop Korra if she's already found the family without putting the entire tribe in danger."

"Paine is right," said Kimahri as he continued. "Elder powerless to stop Korra that is why he ask Gullwings for help. Kimahri knows that Gullwings are friends of Ronso and will do anything to prevent war."

"Well you got that right, Kimahri!" said Haru as he clenched his fists. "But the Elder is more than just our friends; you are family to us."

A broad grin formed on Kimahri's face and amongst the other Ronso that were gathered there. The Elder knew that he could trust the Gullwings for help, but he was even more pleased to see the bonds of Yuna's children with him. He saw the gentle determination of Yuna in Haru's eyes, while seeing her true strength in Mizuki.

Kimahri thanked the Gullwings as he stepped aside so that they could climb the mountain.

Paine called on the Gullwings to move out as they ran towards the mountain slopes to prevent a war from breaking out between the Ronso and Guado.

* * *

The summit of Mt. Gagazet was full of echoes of terrified screams as the two combatants assaulted each other. It was a battle that was doomed to happen between the two races for the crimes committed seventeen years ago.

A Guado man and woman cowered near a set of columns where the Fayth Scar could be found. Before the start of the Eternal Calm, a large Fayth of thousands of bodies could be seen on the side of the mountain which had been used to continue the eternal summoning of the beast, Sin. Now, only a scar was left behind of the thousand year-old imprint of where the Fayth once were.

The Guado family appeared no different than other Guado. They had long-fingers with branched-off green hair, prominent veins on their foreheads, and a frail form. Dressed in thick robes, they were physically prepared to climb the mountain, but they weren't ready for this type of trial.

It was the fight that they found most terrifying. The battle between a Ronso and a Guado; the two women were locked in combat.

The Ronso appeared no different than most Ronso as she bore all the same feline-like features as the rest of her kinsmen. She was a tall woman with blue fur, sharp claws, and a more muscular build compared to most female Ronso. Her long, silver hair was tied back with a green ribbon. She wore one-piece that showed her curvy, muscular form but layers of armor also appeared around the abdomen. Dark blue bracers covered her forearms as she used it as her shield while she wielded a long, silver spear as her weapon.

The Ronso's yellow eyes served to strengthen her predator-like gaze as she hungered to destroy her opponent.

The Guado woman was similar to the Guado family, only she wasn't as meek as they were. She was strong, confident even as she stood up proud as she wielded a katana into battle. Her flora-like hair was a deep shade of blue that helped to make her cyan eyes stand out. Her skin tone though was darker than most Guado, which was an odd anomaly amongst such fair-skinned people. She wasn't quite as tall as the Ronso nor as muscular, but she carried herself well enough, especially to wield such a heavy, auburn katana with such grace.

The Guado blocked the incoming blow of the Ronso's lance with a slight grunt escaping her throat.

Continuing their brawl, the two fought on the snowy plain with the clang of their weapons echoing down the mountain.

Korra Ronso lunged forward to try to gain leverage over her foe. Alia Guado wasn't about to bow down though as she stepped away from the Ronso's blow as she attempted to swing her katana at Korra.

Soon, the two were locked in a stalemate as their weapons met and their strength proved to be truly equal to each other. Their faces nearing each other as their eyes boiled over with agony as they both bore a strong desire to prove themselves superior. Korra gave a mighty, lion-like howl as she pushed Alia back a few feet.

Alia dragged her katana against the snowy surface to keep her from sliding off the ledge. She pulled her weapon out from the ground as she charged back towards the Ronso who was anticipating such a move.

Raising her lance up, Korra waved her hand forward to unleash a ball of fire. Alia responded by swinging her katana at the magical blast to neutralize the attack. She pushed onward, leaping at the Ronso as she swung her katana forward to try and decapitate her. Once more, Korra proved her skill as she intercepted the blow.

"Die, Guado scum!" roared Korra.

"Enough of this, Ronso!" spat Alia.

Another roar escaped from Korra as she pushed Alia aside. She instinctively tried to go after the family in attempt to shatter Alia's resolve as she aimed for the daughter first.

However, a wall of magic arose to block Korra's anger. The Ronso was repelled from the Guado, causing the family to be surprised by what just occurred. Even Alia was astonished until she heard footsteps behind her.

The Gullwings appeared into the picture with Haru clearly being the one to cast the spell.

Korra, not caring who was present, tried to go after Alia again. She sought to rip out the Guado's throat with her claws and might've succeeded too had Paine not interfered.

Holding her sword up into the air with the skull hilt facing Korra, Paine did not want to risk the bloodshed. "Korra, that is enough!" shouted Paine. "Elder Kimahri does not want any more lives to perish because of the wrong that the Guado had committed in the past! Let this pain not cause you to start another war between Ronso and Guado!"

"Guado must pay!" growled Korra. "Guado must pay for what they did to Ronso!"

Korra stepped back and prepared to push Paine aside. This time though, Seiki and Vidina stepped in with Mizuki pointing her sword at the Ronso. The boys were ready to use their weapons and magic against the Ronso, if necessary.

Meanwhile, Haru had gone off to protect the terrified, Guado family.

"No more!" said Mizuki. "No more blood will be shed between Ronso and Guado. That is why my mother stopped Garik from leading the Ronso to a war with the Guado!"

The words flashed through Korra's mind as shame suddenly befell her. While it did not to diminish her hatred of Alia and the Guado family, it did keep her from fighting further.

Korra knelt down, placing her lance down on the snowy ground. She bowed her head as a sign of respect to Mizuki for who she was. "High Summoner Yuna is a hero of the Ronso," said Korra. "Korra…I shame her sacrifice. Korra pride out of control; Korra anger too great!"

"We are sorry for what happened to your family, Korra," Haru said. "But you mustn't forget that they sacrificed themselves to bring the Eternal Calm! They died so that Maester Seymour could not stop my mother and her Guardians from reaching Zanarkand."

Recognition of the Guado Maester brought shame to the Guado. Alia and the Guado family could truly understand why now that Korra was so angry with them. The actions of Seymour Guado is what brought about Spira's hatred of the Guado, after all.

Alia struck her katana to the ground as she too began to bow her head and pray for forgiveness of her people.

* * *

Near the Fayth Scar, the Guado family still cowered in fear as they weren't what to make of the results of the fight. Haru kept guard over them as he tried to assure them that they would be alright, however, he wasn't too sure about that. In the back of his head, he could see Korra going wild again despite her humbling display.

Alia wasn't about to risk it either as she was still under contract to defend the family. She kept her eyes on the Ronso woman, while Paine and the other Gullwings kept themselves between everyone.

"What do we do now?" asked Mizuki as she continued to hold up her sword.

Figuring out how to lead them, Paine figured it would be best for them to have someone report back to Kimahri. If the Ronso could take Korra away then the family would be safe enough then the Gullwings could escort them back to Guadosalam.

However, plans never worked out that way.

The wind of Mt. Gagazet began to pick up, viciously. Everyone on the summit began to buckle down as they had no idea of what to make their current situation. All they knew was that the howl was getting loud, suspiciously loud that they knew that this couldn't be anything ordinary.

The howling wind was eventually replaced by the low, growl of a monster.

Everyone looked off towards the mountain slopes to see a Fiend standing before them. What appeared was a giant, green Behemoth which was different from the common purple variety that roamed this region of Spira. The Gullwings were briefly startled, while the Guado family were downright panicking.

"And that's a big Fiend!" shouted Vidina as he readied his magic. He started off by calling forth bolts of Thunder from the sky to shock the ground around the Behemoth. The Fiend showed no sign of being afraid of the mage's magic, which wasn't a good start to think.

Seiki armed himself with his steel rings as he sized up the beast. "This is no garden variety Behemoth," said the Al Bhed. "It…it's just too different."

With a simple sniff, Alia was able to see it all. She took hold of her katana as she stood in front of everyone, ready to battle against the giant Fiend. Her presence was enough to cause the Fiend to grow angry as it flexed its massive frame. Paine and Mizuki ran up towards the Guado woman, raising up their swords to show that they were ready to fight too.

"We, Guado, have a keen sense of smell for things that come from the Farplane and Pyreflies," said Alia. "This Fiend is made up of so much anger. I can sense the Ronso in it."

Korra's eyes widened as Alia's words echoed. The Ronso woman immediately grabbed her lance as she was preparing to battle against the Fiend too.

"The Ronso that died at the hands of Seymour Guado," continued Alia, "their pain is trapped in that Fiend. Their souls cannot move on." Turning her head just a bit, her attention was drawn to Mizuki now. "How could your mother not perform a Sending for the Ronso?"

"She was a little busy trying to destroy Sin!" said Mizuki. "Plus, she did perform one. Her Sending just mustn't have touched everywhere that the Ronso had died in battle."

"Are you sure that the Fiend isn't also made up of Summoners and Guardians who failed to reach Zanarkand?" asked Paine.

"It's possible," said Alia. "However, all I sense is the rage of the Ronso in that Fiend! Slaying it should release them from their torment and send them to rest in the Farplane."

A loud roar escaped from Korra as she charged after the Behemoth. She didn't waste any time in hearing anyone's orders as she sought to destroy the Fiend in order to release her kinsmen. Plus, a deep fear lurked in her heart that the souls of her parents might be trapped in that Fiend.

That was something that the Gullwings were able to assume as Paine issued their attack.

Korra was already on the Fiend though. Jumping across the snowy summit, she thrusted her lance into the torso of the Fiend as it growled angrily at her. The Ronso drove her weapon deeper into the Fiend's meat before getting thrown off.

Haru pushed the family further towards the Fayth Scar where they'd be safer. He took hold of his pistol as he told them to stay there for own before joining the rest of his friends in battle.

A steel ring flew into the air as it briefly scratched against the Behemoth's nose. The Fiend barely felt a thing before it felt two blades piercing its skin. Mizuki and Paine pulled their weapons out then swung them forward to dig into the kneecap of the Fiend. There was a loud howl escaping from the Behemoth as it started to stumble back.

Raising his hand up into the air, Vidina began to chant softly. He brought in more cold air as he tried to cast a Blizzard spell to freeze the Behemoth. The Fiend resisted the cold though and was about to charge after the mage when gunshots could be heard. Haru and Seiki were trying to capture the Fiend's attention by shooting at it with their Machina guns.

From there, Alia was able to swing her katana against the Fiend's hindquarters. The Fiend howled, but showed no sign of dying anytime soon.

Korra was back on her feet as she appeared beside the Guado. Alia was half expecting to get pushed off the cliff when the Ronso started to gather an orb of electricity at the palm of her hand. The Ronso fired the powerful bold of lightning at the Fiend, doing a remarkable amount of damage to the Behemoth.

"Impressive," said Alia as she charged towards the Behemoth.

Scoffing her comment, Korra ran beside the Guado. The two of them turned their weapons on the Behemoth, plunging it through the throat of the Fiend.

A choked cry escaped from the Behemoth's throat as the two women did critical damage to the Fiend. Seiki and Haru continued to shoot at the Fiend to further weaken it, while Vidina called down fireballs to burn the Fiend. As its resistance crumbled, Paine and Mizuki went at the Behemoth again as they dragged their swords through it.

The Behemoth gave out a mighty cry as it finally collapsed to the ground with its body crumbling into Pyreflies. The Pyreflies immediately began to float up into the air where they appeared to gather before they dispersed into the sky, fading away into the Farplane.

Korra dropped to one knee, while Alia was gasping for air. The two were too exhausted to fight anymore as the Fiend had taken everything out of them.

Paine called the Guado family out who realized that it was safe for them now. The Guado family thanked the Gullwings for helping them when they had feared that death had come for them.

The Gullwings were exhausted too as they fell to the ground. That Behemoth had been stronger than any other Fiend that they had encountered, which led to them to worry. Fiends were steadily becoming more powerful, which wasn't a good sign at all.

However, those concerns would be left for another day as footsteps could be heard from the slopes of the mountain.

Kimahri and a few other Ronso walked the slopes to reach the summit. The Elder kept moving forward until he was standing near Korra who immediately got up to her feet. "Korra disobeyed orders of Elder Kimahri," said Kimahri. "Elder told you to leave the Guado alone. Elder told you to let go of your anger!"

Hearing the sting of her Elder's words, Korra closed her eyes as she gritted her teeth. Her hands trembled too as she struggled to contain all the emotion building up. "Forgive Korra, Elder," said Korra. "Korra anger too great."

"Korra anger too great," repeated Elder Kimahri. "Korra's father, Biran, would be most ashamed by his daughter. Biran sacrificed himself to protect Yuna because he believed that she could create a Spira free from pain. Korra's actions spits in the face of the dead!"

"Elder!" gasped Korra.

The Gullwings and Alia also found that to be particular cruel to say. However, they didn't say anything as this was a Ronso problem and Ronso problems were best handled by Ronso.

"Elder Kimahri decided," said the elder, "that Korra cannot be a part of tribe until Korra learns to let go of her hate."

"But Elder!" said Korra.

"Elder has spoken!" said Kimahri. The deep voice of the Elder echoed throughout the summit as he had enough with Korra. Her actions had put all Ronso and Guado in danger, which is why such drastic means needed to be taken. Leaving her, Kimahri went over towards Paine and the Gullwings. "Thank you, Gullwings, for saving Ronso. If Kimahri may ask, will Gullwings take Korra with them on journey? Seeing Spira might help Korra to release her anger."

Paine didn't hesitate as she saw that it would be important, plus she wanted the strength of a Ronso on their team. She agreed to the Elder's request without hesitation.

Once more, Kimahri thanked them before going over towards the Guado family. Now, they didn't appear so frightened as they knew that the Elder meant them no harm. "Please forgive Ronso for Korra's actions," said Kimahri. "Elder Kimahri will personally accompany Guado to Fayth Scar and back. Elder will also have Ronso Youth escort Guado back to Guadosalam, safely."

"Thank you, wise Ronso Elder," said the Guado man. "And thank you, Gullwings, for protecting my family."

Kimahri escorted the family to the scar with his entourage accompanying them.

The Gullwings said goodbye to the Elder, while Korra and Alia stayed back.

Alia turned herself towards the side with her eyes closed as she thought about things to herself. She had already been paid and her contract was terminated since the family had got themselves a new bodyguard. "Well, I guess I'm out of a job now," said Alia.

"Do you want a job as a Sphere Hunter?" asked Paine.

Raising an eyebrow, Alia found it strange to receive such a sudden offer. "You have an opening?" asked Alia. "You do know that I'm a Guado, and the Ronso that you're taking in tried to kill me?"

"You defended yourself well," said Paine, "plus, Korra needs to let go of her hate. Being around a Guado should help with that. And the pay is good."

The prospect of Gil was enough to make Alia agree to such an arrangement. "Sold," said Alia. Moving away from the angry Ronso, Alia went over towards the other members of the team who were still dizzy by what just happened.

They came to the mountain to prevent a war between Ronso and Guado, and now they had two more Sphere Hunters joining them on their mission.

* * *

Fighting Fiends typically brought people together, but it wasn't working in this case.

The Celsius had to deal with a vengeful Ronso and an angry Guado in the aftermath of the battle. Going through with Kimahri's request, the Gullwings took in Korra and also gained Alia thanks to Paine's job offer. What seemed like an effort to decrease the lingering tensions between the two races suddenly went sour as it was clear that Korra and Alia weren't ready to simply get over the past.

Or more so, that Korra wasn't ready to let go of her pain just yet.

Korra wasn't threatening to stab anybody with her spear though which was a start. Even Alia had left her katana down in the cabin with the rest of their weapons.

"Daughter of killers," hissed Korra as she purposely bumped into Alia's shoulder.

The Guado stumbled back as the taller Ronso used her brute strength against her. She raised her arm over her shoulder while glaring at the Ronso. "Animal," growled Alia. "Don't make it so that I need to put you down!"

Korra was ready to throw a punch now when Paine finally intervene, again. The captain grabbed the Ronso's fist while holding her hand in front of Alia. "That is enough! The both of you will stop fighting this instant!" yelled Paine. The raw authority behind her voice actually broke through to the women, even if only for a brief moment.

In all honesty, Paine was seriously second-guessing herself for bringing in two strays.

The break in the fighting was enough though. Paine was able to take advantage of that as she decided to set up some more space between them for now. "Why don't you show the ladies to their rooms, Mizuki," said Paine.

Fully recovered from her hangover after dealing with the brisk cold, Mizuki looked in better shape than she had earlier that day. She nodded her head as she agreed to follow her captain's orders only to stop herself in her tracks. "Umm…" started Mizuki. "Where are they going to sleep? We only have one room left."

Haru stepped forward as he prepared a compromise. "Korra can take my room," said the young man. "I'll bunk with Vidina for now. I'll even more what little stuff I have out of there that way Korra can make herself comfortable."

"Thank you, Haru," Korra said with her deep, Ronso voice.

Alia appeared relieved too that she wasn't going to be forced to share a room with a woman whom she couldn't get along with. She followed Mizuki down to the cabin while Korra followed Haru towards her new bedroom. The Guado woman thick veins started to rise at the mere memory of the dual that she had with the Ronso, but she managed to keep that anger contained as it was partly her fault.

While Alia personally might not have been responsible for the genocide of the Ronso, there was still some blame that stained her soul. For now though, Alia kept that to herself as she wasn't quite sure how to bring all of that up.

* * *

Luckily, there was no fighting at the dinner table. The two, new Gullwings managed to behave themselves well enough, which allowed for a peaceful night. The tensions were still high though, causing things to be a little uneasy for everyone present.

Haru felt mentally exhausted as he collapsed against the wall with his eyes rolling back.

The teen had entered the private sanctuary of his cousin. Seiki was at his desk with various Machina all around him as Vidina sat on the bed. Seiki had his eyes glued to his current project so he wasn't paying Haru too much attention. "Clean up duty sucks, doesn't it?" asked Seiki.

A heavy groan escaped from Haru's throat as he made that his response. "I don't know what's worse: cleaning up the kitchen or trying to keep Korra and Alia from killing each other," said Haru. Getting up to his feet though, Haru wondered over to the bed where he fell beside Vidina. "Those two are both homicidal maniacs! What are we gonna do with them?"

"Let them work it out," said Vidina as he pushed Haru off him. "We can't do much else."

Seiki had to agree with that as he got up from his desk. He took hold of a box while taking hold of some type of Machina. "On the brightside, I have presents!" said Seiki. The cheerful teen got between the two boys as he presented the gifts to them. The small box was for Vidina while an orange, Machina device was for Haru.

Taking the box, Vidina opened it up to see some golden bracelets inside of them. "Jewelry?" asked Vidina as he took the pair of bracelets. He wasn't sure if he should put it on in part because he didn't feel attraction to the Al Bhed. "Umm…I don't like you like that, Seiki."

"It's not like that!" said Seiki. "Those bracelets are Machina boosters. They're supposed to help you speed up your spell casting as well as harnessing energy from Pyreflies to make your magic stronger!"

"In that case," said Vidina as he put the bracelets on, "I do like you like that!"

The boys started to laugh, while Haru nudged his cousin to find out the Machina that he was holding.

Seiki took the device and held it up to make it clear that it was a blaster of sorts. He switched a simple trigger to cause a ring of violet light to float in front of it. "This charming, Machina gun is magical," said Seiki. "It fires magical bullets. I figured it would help you in a fight better than the pistol that I gave you."

"Oh!" said Haru as he started to grin. "Thank you, cousin."

Seiki jumped to his feet, grinning since he knew that he was the best gift-giver there was. He returned to his desk and started to work on more projects that would be of use to their Sphere Hunting group.

Vidina and Haru watched Seiki for a while before deciding to go to bed. They entered the hall to find that it was oddly quiet with Korra and Alia clearly not fighting.

At least for now, the Gullwings could get a good night's rest before things got out of hand, again.


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Well, I must say that I'm happy how this chapter turned out. I won't keep you waiting so enjoy! Read and review! P.S., my birthday is next Friday. *hint*hint*  
**

**Information Overload:**

Humming as he sat at his station, Seiki went through an analysis of the sphere waves that were vibrating across Spira. The teen was trying to see if any of these waves had condescend themselves into perfect spheres that were ripe for the picking. The search would take a while, but he figured it would be worth his time opposed to just waiting on the sensors to randomly spot a sphere.

Seiki's fingers glided across the keyboard as he inputted all the necessary algorithms. It was hard work, but he was the only person on the airship capable of doing all of this. After all, the Al Bhed were much better at using Machina than anyone else on Spira.

Things were calm on the Celsius though, which allowed him to work in peace. Even with the addition of Alia and Korra, the two of them have behaved since joining the team two weeks ago.

Nobody knew for how much longer that would last so they were enjoying it while they could.

Seiki kept working on hunting down a new sphere for them before taking a short break. He tore himself away from the computer as he climbed out from his pod at the front of the bridge, landing on the narrow walkway. He went towards the center of the bridge, stretching out his body since he had been sitting down for the last hour.

"I hope we find a new sphere soon," Seiki said to himself as he threw his arms behind his head to snap his back. "Hopefully the sphere will be worth top Gil too! It'll be so exciting if we could get loaded off of it."

Spinning around a bit, Seiki thought about the wonderful things he could get with a huge load of Gil. Aside from using it to buy himself a massive house somewhere in Luca, he'd probably use the money to do some Machina research. There was so much about Spira's history that they didn't know about and with the proper funds; they could uncover a vast quantity of secrets.

"Or I could use it to buy me a boyfriend!" laughed Seiki.

Before he could laugh at himself more, the monitors began to go off as treasure sphere waves were detected. Seiki ran towards his station to see where this new sphere was located before the rest of the crew came up to the bridge.

Typing in a few keys, Seiki found himself staring at a map of Spira. The computer punched in the coordinates to show him a clearer image of where they needed to go. "Djose Beach," said Seiki. "Wow. I wonder how valuable this sphere might be. Well, there's only one way to find out."

Seiki flipped the switch to the intercom so that he would have the full attention of everyone on the ship. "Gullwings, report to the bridge!" said the teen. "It's time to go sphere hunting!" With that done, at least, Seiki then turned his attention on the course of the ship. He activated the sequence for the autopilot to set it on course for Djose Beach.

Flying across the planet, the Celsius arrived to the Djose Highroad where the Gullwings departed for the airship with Paine staying behind to keep an eye on the things from above. They couldn't land directly on the beach due to interference, but they were close enough that they could walk there without taking up too much time.

Seiki, excitedly, led the way to the beach with the rest of the team following closely.

The ocean crashed against the rocky cliffs of the highroad with the salty air filling their senses. It was a soothing feeling, but they knew that once they got to the beach things would change.

The sky appeared slightly stormy with the Gullwings wondering if it might rain on them. Korra wasn't exactly thrilled by that aspect since that meant her fur would get soaked. She gave out a light growl at disgust as they all made their way down the highroad until they saw the rocky path turn to sand.

Mizuki and Vidina cheered as they were excited to be back at a beach, even Haru was a little excited to be back near an environment he remembered. All three of them hadn't been near a beach since leaving Besaid.

Walking down the sandy slope, the Gullwings finally arrived to the beach. It was here that they saw for their own eyes various scars on the beach as it was clear that a battle had taken place here.

While things had been clean up some, there were still broken Machina that littered the ground. The occasional Pyrefly would also glisten right by them. The history of the beach was a grim one as many lives were lost here.

Alia could feel the torment, although, it was nowhere near as severe as Mt. Gagazet. The pain left the Guado feeling uneasy as they walked closer towards the beach to see that the ocean didn't look as clear as it did in other places.

"The ocean's kinda murky," said Mizuki as she tilted her head to the side. "Has it always been this way?"

"It's been that way for almost twenty years now. I was just a kid when the beach changed."

The Gullwings spun around to see that someone else was on the beach with them.

A man walked along the sandy beach dressed in a light coat with baggy pants. His face hidden behind a pair of goggles to keep his eyes covered. His tanned skin was visible though along with his shaved head, which was enough of a clue to give the senior members of the Gullwings a hint to who it was.

"Mr. Shinra!" said Seiki.

Pulling off his goggles, the man revealed his eyes to show the Gullwings his swirly, green pupils. The man had the eyes of an Al Bhed like Seiki, which confirmed who he was. "Hello Gullwings," said Shinra. "It's been a long time since we've seen each other. I see you've gained a few new members since we last met."

Haru and Vidina smiled at Shinra as they were well aware who he was. Alia and Korra were left in the dark, which made it up to the others to explain Shinra.

"Shinra was a member of the Gullwings back when my mom, Paine, and Aunt Yuna were Gullwings," explained Seiki. "He was the one responsible for developing the Garment Grid and Dresspheres as well as the rest of the technology that the Gullwings used. After the battle with Vegnagun, Shinra left to lead his own research division in the Machine Faction, funded by the Council, of course."

"Why are you here at Djose Beach, Shinra?" asked Mizuki.

Shinra approached the group when other noises could be heard. Soon enough, they all could spot a group of men and women doing survey work along the beach. "I've been conducting my own investigation on behalf of the Council," said Shinra. "My research on energy is of value so I've spent the past month here at the beach to investigate why Sin's toxin still lingers here."

The Gullwings understood that as they all remembered the ill-fated Operation Mi'hen. The Crusaders and the Al Bhed came together with hopes of using the Forbidden Machina to destroy Sin permanently. However, their operation was a stunning failure with Sin destroying their Machina before wiping out the Crusaders and devastating the Al Bhed. The operation strengthened the Maesters of Yevon's hold over Spira for a time as Djose Beach became a cursed place for the people of Spira.

"I guess Sin's toxin is stronger than we all thought," said Korra as she approached the murky water. "It'll take some time before the toxin fades away completely, but at least Sin is gone forever."

"That's the one positive," said Shinra. "Eventually, the ecosystem will heal; however, I've noticed something else while conducting my research." The Al Bhed man turned towards Haru since he knew of the teen's position in the Council. The information that he had in his head was of particular value to Haru's own investigation. "I've done some readings on the Machina here and found some peculiar readings. You're all aware that I'm the one responsible for the research revolving around using the Farplane's energy to power our Machina, correct?"

Haru, Seiki, Vidina, and Mizuki all nodded their heads. Alia and Korra weren't as well versed in this research, but they kept their questions to themselves for now.

From there, Shinra continued his explanation. "It appears I'm not as original as I thought I was," said Shinra. "Ancient Spirans were able to use the energy from the Farplane as well. I uncovered this while doing an analysis on the ancient Machina here on the beach. What concerns me though is that I've noticed that the energy in the Farplane has been syphoned at alarming rates since I developed my theory."

"But there are no Machina cities besides Bevelle and our level of technology isn't that advanced," said Vidina.

"Exactly," said Shinra. "That is why I believe a third-party is using the Farplane's energy to power their Machina. I have concluded that the culprits of this are the ones who are responsible for the peculiar Machina sightings across Spira."

"So someone is purposely draining vast quantities of the Farplane's energy?" asked Alia. "For what end? Wouldn't that just lead to Spira's destruction?"

"That might not be their objective," said Shinra. "They might not be even fully aware of what they're doing, especially since the Farplane has been overflowing with energy since Sin's defeat. All of this is just a hypothesis that I cannot test without further evidence."

Regardless, this did not bode well.

Haru felt a bit of anxiety ridding along his spine from thinking about what Shinra was saying. If there were a group of people out there that was doing this much harm in such a short period of time, it terrified him to think of the long term effects.

Unable to do much else for them, Shinra decided to return to his investigation. He knew that the reason that they were here in the first place was to sphere-hunt so he wished them luck on their mission as he made it clear that his group wouldn't interfere on their mission.

The Gullwings thanked Shinra for the information that he provided them with before they broke off to get to work on their separate investigations.

Walking along an empty alcove at Djose Beach, Haru stayed silent as he searched for any sign of a sphere. The Gullwings had split apart for the search as they took to the various recesses in hope of finding a sphere before a Fiend emerged. That was the plan at least, but the odds were typically against them in that case.

Haru brushed back his bangs from his eyes as the sun slowly began to set over the beach. The sea turning darker as Sin's toxin lingered in this place, leaving behind a thousand years' worth of darkness upon this place.

Troubling thoughts arose from Haru's mind with his memory repeating the words that Shinra spoke to them. The teen couldn't help but to feel something far worse was at work here. Sin's lingering toxin, the Machina, the energy in the Farplane, and the sphere of Lady Yunalesca were all connected somehow.

A lone Pyrefly flew passed Haru, breaking him from his thoughts about the investigations to remind him of the real reason why he was here.

Haru focused on trying to spot the sphere as a cold breeze blew in from the ocean. He extended his hand out as another Pyrefly flew towards him with the eerie feel of death near this place. The Pyrefly lingered in this place as it joined the other that Haru had seen moments before.

The two Pyreflies started to fly further away from Haru, leaving the teen with a puzzled look on his face. He started to follow the Pyreflies though with him slowly noticing more Pyreflies were appearing on the beach. More so then he had seen when the Gullwings first arrived here.

The Pyreflies grew in numbers as they coalesced around a small stream that fed into the ocean.

Haru walked along the rocks that guarded this place before stopping where the Pyreflies gathered. The Pyreflies suddenly began to disperse from where they had gathered, leaving behind a golden sphere. This sphere seemed different from all the others that Haru had seen which were normally blue or orange.

Still, it was a sphere so Haru knelt down towards the stream to pluck it out from there. "I wonder what secrets you hold," whispered Haru. Holding the sphere to his face, Haru wished that he could play it right now. He couldn't though since he didn't have a sphere reader on him so he had no choice but to run back towards the meeting place to reunite with the other Gullwings so that they could leave this place.

Vidina and Alia returned to the beach first after failing to find a sphere at their end of the beach. It sucked that their hunt didn't go so well, but they were hoping that the others had better luck then they did. Alia remained more optimistic than Vidina did, oddly enough.

Not too long after the two of them arrived, Korra showed up from her failed efforts as well. The Ronso woman pretended as if Alia wasn't even there with the Guado doing the same thing as there was still a ton of tension between the two of them. It frustrated Vidina to see that, but he kept his mouth shut as he waited for the others to get back.

"I guess your luck sucks too." Mizuki jumped off a low cliff as her search proved to be a failure as well. She ran her hands through her hair as she joined the rest of them. "Have we heard anything from Seiki or Haru? Those two have a tendency of getting into trouble."

Vidina could only shrug his shoulders as he had no idea where the two of them were. "Beats me," said the teen. "I haven't gotten any reports on our comm-links."

"They're fine," said Alia. "If they were in any real danger, we would've heard at least some screaming by now."

That was a reasonable enough claim to make. Mizuki tried to find some comfort in that, even though, she knew her brother and cousin's poor luck.

Things slowly got better though as Seiki arrived with Shinra and some of the Al Bhed in tow. He ran over towards the rest of the group as he mentally counted the group in his head as well as tried to keep an eye out for a sphere. "No luck either?" asked Seiki. "This really bites! The radar said that there was a sphere on this cursed beach!"

"And it didn't lie, unless you broke it," said Shinra as he joined the Gullwings with his unit. "I perfected that radar. I can guarantee that it is a hundred percent right all the time."

"But you built it when you were just a kid," said Mizuki.

Shinra could only smile at that as he took that as an ego boost. That was pretty much obvious to everyone present as they knew only nothing good could come from Shinra's overinflated ego.

As time went by, Mizuki was beginning to worry as she tried to get hold of Paine on the Celsius. She was going to try to track down her brother one way or the other only to hear a sharp whistling from down the beach. The entire party looked back to see that Haru was running from the end of the beach that he investigated as he held up the sphere in the air.

Seeing the sphere in his hand brought an immediate rush of celebration from the Gullwings. The team was ready to charge towards them when a sharp, buzzing sound filled the air.

The buzzing noise only got stronger with the Gullwings and Al Bhed trying to figure out what it was. Haru had to stop running too as he held the sphere against his head, feeling that something wasn't right here. That feeling only got stronger until the buzzing stopped and was replaced with a shrieking sound.

That's when he heard screaming as the noise was coming from behind him. Haru looked back and became terrified by what he saw.

While spheres normally attracted Fiends, what stood behind Haru was no Fiend. It was a mechanical suit with spikes along its shoulder and a red eye locking onto the teen.

One of the Al Bhed in Shinra's group was the first to say anything as they stared at the mechanical suit. "Is that a Machina!" the man said in Al Bhed.

"I've never seen a Machina like that," said Seiki as he took out his steel rings.

"That doesn't matter," said Korra as she raised her spear. "We must stop that Machina before it hurts Haru!"

"Agreed!" said Mizuki as she took out her sword.

Alia grabbed her katana, while Vidina snapped on his bracelets to amp up his magic. Shinra's group of Al Bhed took out their weapons as well as they prepared to provide support for the Gullwings in this battle.

The Machina was right on Haru's tail, immediately paralyzing the teen with fear. Haru started to stumble back until he fell on the sandy ground with the large Machina hovering over him. The Machina raised its sword-like arm, charging it with a lethal surge of electricity as it prepared to murder the teen.

Haru laid there defenseless as there wasn't enough time for him to grab his Machina mage-gun. All he could do was raise his arms up with the sphere in his hand to provide this messily defense as death hovered above him.

Before the Machina could strike though, a steel ring flew across the beach until it struck the Machina's robotic face. The machine was forced to turn its attention away from Haru just as a blue blur rushed towards them. Haru felt his body pulled up from the ground into a pair of strong arms as a cloud of sand rose up from the ground.

Landing across from the Machina, Haru looked up to see that it was Korra that had pulled him away from the Machina. The Ronso released the teen before letting out a mighty roar as she took out her spear.

Bullets flew across the beach to strike the Machina in a fierce barrage. The Machina was briefly distracted by the incoming bullets as it tried to redirect its focus on its attackers. As the barrage of bullets came to a close, Korra charged towards the Machina, running her spear along its back to leave a faint scar. The Ronso stopped mere inches from the murky water as she yelled at Haru to respond.

The Machina prepared to charge up its sword-arm once more just as Haru took out his gun. He held onto the sphere before blasting the Machina with a powerful burst of magical energy. The blast knocked the power, briefly, out of the Machina as it stumbled in the air for just a moment.

That moment was all that was needed to do some extra damage.

Mizuki flew across the beach as she dragged her sword against the arm of the Machina to slice off the lethal sword. She landed behind the Machina just as Alia was coming in for the kill as well. She dragged her mighty katana across the Machina's torso to reveal its mechanical insides, providing a soft spot to strike at full force.

Seiki retrieved his steel ring that he had flung at the Machina as Vidina raced beside him. The rest of the Al Bhed remained further behind as they kept their rifles raised up in case the Machina tried to do anything funny.

"V, I'm gonna need you to concentrate," said Seiki as he held up his rings. "Hit the Machina with a Thunder spell where the girls damaged it. That should short-circuit it enough to put it out of order!"

"Well, if that's what the expert believes," said Vidina as he began to channel all his magical power into this next attack. "Then you shall have what you request! Get away from the water, my friends, because I'm bringing forth a storm!"

A surge of lightning flashed around Vidina as he used the bracelets that Seiki gave him to boost his magic to its limits. His eyes even began to glow white to symbolize the amount of mana that he brought forth. Focusing on the three scars on the Machina's body, Vidina wanted his lightning to strike there. He gave out a loud yell before calling down a series of thunderbolts down from the sky to strike the Machina.

The Thunder spell hit its target with it doing an overkill. The overabundance of electricity blasted the Machina apart into pieces as its red eye was the first to explode. Various pieces began to rain down along the beach with everyone covering their eyes from the calling debris.

Vidina could only whistle once the smoke settled from his devastating spell. "Yo, Seiki," said the Black Mage. "If you could make me a matching necklace to go with the bracelets then we'd really be in business."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Seiki as he started to approach the destroyed Machina.

The Gullwings went over towards Haru first, helping the teen as they praised him for retrieving the sphere. Mizuki though was looking her younger brother over to make sure that he wasn't injured from the Machina's attack.

A soft smirk escaped from Haru's face as he told his sister that he was fine. "It's all thanks to Korra's fast response," said Haru as he held onto the sphere. "If she hadn't moved as quickly as she had then I would've been done for. Thank you, Korra."

The Ronso was taken aback by the praise since it wasn't something that she had expected. Still though, it was well deserved since she had put herself out on the line to save him. "My pleasure, little one," said Korra.

Over at the mechanical carcass of the Machina, Seiki and Shinra were having a field day with the treasure before them. The two Al Bhed were searching the Machina as they tried to do a basic study of the parts that hadn't been completely fried by Vidina's spell.

"I've never seen a Machina like that," said Seiki. "It easily had to be a hundred years above our current level of technology. Do you think this Machina was part of the sightings that the Council wants investigated?"

Looking at a peculiar part, Shinra found his eyes widening underneath his goggles. He couldn't believe what he was seeing before he remembered that Seiki had asked him a question. "I believe so," said Shinra. "Now, what really bothers me is the fact that it was on the offensive. Haru hadn't provoked the Machina yet it was set to kill which makes me wonder if it was after Haru or the sphere that he retrieved."

That was a good question. Seiki and the rest of the Gullwings weren't sure how to answer that one as Haru in particular was confused by what just happened.

Shinra grabbed a scanner from his small pack as the rest of his unit joined him. The Al Bhed dropped their weapons and focused on helping their leader investigate the Machina.

"Based on this initial scan," said Shinra, "this Machina's power source is different than what we're used to. I can't help but to conclude that this Machina might've been actively absorbing energy from the Farplane."

"You're kidding me!" said Haru as thoughts of his investigation returned to him. He left the sphere in Mizuki's care as he went over towards the remains. "Do you really think that this Machina is connected to the Farplane, Shinra? Who is capable of even establishing such a connection?"

"Like I told you before, Haru, I don't know," said Shinra. "I'll take the remains though to be further analyzed then make my report to the Council. That's really all that I can do." The Al Bhed man rose back up to his feet while continuing to hold some of the Machina's remains. The Gullwings soon gathered around him along with the rest of his unit as he had some decisions to make. "Gullwings, I suggest you take your sphere back to the Celsius for analysis. If the Machina truly was after the sphere then its contents might be of great value to us and might help uncover this mystery."

Agreeing with him, the Gullwings called on Paine to bring the airship around. Vidina asked if Shinra and the rest of the Al Bhed were safe on the beach. It took a few tries but Shinra was able to assure him that his magic made sure that the Machina would never come back to life as too many vital components were destroyed.

In a few minutes, the Celsius could be seen peaking over the Mushroom Rock Road. The Gullwings rushed towards their airship, waving Shinra and the rest of the Al Bhed farewell. The team was desperate to find out what was in the sphere and if it really was as valuable as they believed it to be.

Paine stood on the breach, arms crossed, as she stared at her crew after they told her everything that happened. Their trip to Djose Beach hadn't gone off as smoothly as they had all hoped, but they had at least retrieved the sphere.

Yet that didn't exactly bring Paine much joy once they were done reciting their adventure.

Clenching her fists, Paine stomped towards Haru with her heels echoing across the metal floors. The others began to back away as they weren't sure what was about to happen, while Haru simply cowered before Paine as he held onto the sphere. They were all expecting Paine to slug Haru across the face for being so careless, but that didn't happen.

Instead, Paine wrapped her arms around Haru and pulled the teen against her chest. She gave out a deep breath as her hands ran along his back. "Never put yourself in that situation again, Haru," said Paine. "I've told you all too many times that no sphere is worth dying over. If that happens again, you let the sphere go and run! Your parents would never forgive me if you ended up in the Farplane for any reason besides dying of old age."

Haru nearly found himself sighing in relief as Paine released him from her arms. He honestly felt guilty for not doing a better job at paying attention to his surroundings. If he had only been a little more aware of the Machina that had been chasing after him then he might not have put the crew in such a dangerous situation. He recognized that as he apologized to Paine and the rest of the Gullwings.

The others were relieved too to see that there wouldn't be any fighting on the bridge. The fight at the beach even kept Korra and Alia from spitting any insults at each other as they walked over towards Haru. They all began to approach him as they felt it was time to see what was on the sphere that he had nearly got himself killed over.

Inserting the sphere into the reader, Haru stepped back so that they could all view the recording.

_The recording was incredibly fuzzy, full of sharp static. Eventually though, the picture cleared up until the image of Machina City appeared before the Gullwings, causing them all to gasp. The city was unlike anything that they had seen before, possibly even greater then what Bevelle was._

_Upon seeing the city, the Gullwings were left to believe that this city was the Holy City that had been the first city to fall to Sin, the City of the Dead, Zanarkand. _

_The grand city was truly a marvel to see, but that was not all that was held within the sphere. The imaged changed to show two people standing at a grand garden, covered from unworthy eyes by a series of high walls. Everyone recognized Lady Yunalesca as she sat on a stone bench, while she extended her hand out to a man dressed in golden armor, which left everyone to believe him to be Lord Zaon._

"_We have hidden them all, my darling," said Lady Yunalesca. "They are all bound beneath the most powerful of seals that I could construct. Now, no one will ever be able to find them."_

_As Lady Yunalesca seemed to bask before her success, Lord Zaon didn't seem as thrilled by what they had accomplished. He looked uneasy about it as he took a seat beside his wife on the cold bench. "Do you really think it wise, my love?" asked Lord Zaon. "What if their powers are needed? The force that your father intends on summoning…a grave price will have to be paid not just on his part; it is a price that we must all pay."_

"_The war must end, Zaon," said Yunalesca, "and Zanarkand must be saved, even if only as a memory. We cannot allow our beautiful home fade away." It was clear that Lady Yunalesca was becoming upset by this conversation. She tore her hand away from her husband as she jumped to her feet, her hair swaying as she pointed towards the walls to the glorious city. "We cannot allow those heretics from Bevelle defile our home!"_

_There was a snicker as Seiki found that a little ironic to hear. Normally, it was the heavily faithful Yevonites from Bevelle screaming at everyone else for being heretics so this was a nice change. _

_A heavy sigh escaped from Zaon as he placed his hands on his lap. "Forgive me, Yunalesca," said Zaon, "I am just worried. Your father's summoning can go wrong if we don't take the proper precautions. Somehow, I do not hiding the Originals Ones is a good idea for Spira. What if Master Yu Yevon lost control of the summoning?"_

"_That will never happen," said Yunalesca. "Besides, the Original Ones were already sealed away once before because they abused their powers. All we are doing is ensuring that the gods cannot interfere in our plans."_

_Yunalesca began to walk away from the garden, leaving Zaon behind. For a moment, Zaon stayed behind as he softly prayed for Spira's safety and for forgiveness in what they were about to do. _

The recording ended there with everyone on the Celsius astonished by what they had just seen. Not only was it a recording of Lady Yunalesca and Lord Zaon discussing the plans to summon Sin, but an issue of greater importance had been raised.

For a second, nobody said a single word as they tried to process the recording.

Alia was the first to raise her hand up with a question about what they had just seen. "I'm sorry, but gods?" said Alia. "Spira has no gods. In its history, there has never been any mention of gods."

"Or so we've been led to believe," countered Seiki.

Shaking her head, there was no point in raising questions with each other since they would never get any answers to them. Paine pulled the sphere out from the record, realizing that they were getting themselves into another battle, but there was no other choice. "We're reporting this to the Council," said Paine. "It's time that we got some answers. We need to talk to Baralai."

Everyone was in agreement about that. They all wanted to understand just who these Original Ones were and if they were truly gods that had been sealed away by Lady Yunalesca in order for Sin to be summoned without interference. And if these gods were really gods, the Gullwings wanted to know if this would help them unravel the mysteries of the Machina sightings and the energy being syphoned from the Farplane.


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: And lucky for you all that I finished another chapter! I'm gonna try and do two updates on the weeks that I write Lost Millennium until I get my extra hours for work, but no promises! I'll try to spoil, y'all, but just remember that I have to sleep at some point! I hope you enjoy the chapter. Read and review! **

**Pre-Madonna:**

Aboard the Celsius, the Gullwings were still running frantic from the sphere that they had seen only moments ago. The young members of the crew were all nervous as they turned to Paine for some direction. After all, they were trying to uncover Spira's secret gods that they had no idea existed until they watched the sphere of Lady Yunalesca and Lord Zaon.

Paine felt the weight of their fears on her shoulders as she approached the main computer. She plugged in a few commands to enter a secure channel as she had high hopes of getting into contact with Baralai.

The sphere was in Haru's hands again as he thought back to the previous hour where the Pyreflies led him to the sphere before getting attacked by the Machina. It seemed like there was more at stake here than meets the eyes, which made the teen awfully nervous.

The communication channel began to ring as its connection was fully established.

A moment longer than Baralai's voice could be heard in the Celsius. "Gullwings, this is Baralai," said the Councilor. "What seems to be the problem?"

"It's Paine, Baralai," said the leader Sphere-Hunter. "We uncovered another sphere while at Djose Beach. We also had a run in with Shinra there as he was investigating the Machina issue you sent him off on."

"I'm willing to guess that you all uncovered more than just a sphere or a few scrap parts," said Baralai.

"Yes we did, Councilor Baralai," said Haru. "We discovered another sphere of Lady Yunalesca before being attacked by a highly-advanced Machina. Shinra believes that this Machina is part of our Farplane issue, but that's not all."

While the Gullwings might've not been able to see Baralai, they all knew that he would be concerned by this. There was no way that anyone could ignore something this severe, so now they could only hope that he wasn't going to try to blow off their concerns in typical Yevon fashion. They would find that out soon enough once Haru got to explaining what was on the sphere.

"In the sphere, the recording had Lady Yunalesca and Lord Zaon discussing something very ancient," said Haru. "They talked about the Original Ones; they called them gods. But…Spira never had a god. Even Yevon wasn't viewed as a true god; merely a religious symbol that we should all aspire ourselves to behave under."

"We cannot speak any more about this," Baralai said, immediately. "If what you all said were true then we may be in graver danger then I thought. I don't want to risk the ones responsible for sending out that Machina to overhear what we're discussing. We must meet somewhere in private."

That was a shocking surprise.

Paine took the conversation to a more private level as she left the others in the dark for a moment. She spoke with Baralai in hushed tones before the call came to a close. With what they discussed still fresh in her head, she went over towards the control station to send the Celsius on its next course.

A heavy cough escaped from Mizuki as she wanted to get answers for all of them. The first cough went ignored, but she tried again until Paine finally paid attention to her.

Speaking in hushed tones, Paine informed them that they were to meet Baralai in Luca for a private meeting.

* * *

The beautiful, port city of Luca was one of Spira's shinning gems. It was the second, largest city in all of Spira and also the home of the Blitzball stadium. So many Spirans lived in the city that it kept the city far more diverse and interesting than Bevelle since every race in Spira could be found in this growing city.

The Celsius landed in the harbor where the airship's engines immediately began to cool down. And soon enough, the Gullwings came flying out of their ship as Paine locked it up tight to prevent any intruders from breaking in. The last time that they left the Celsius unattended to in Luca, the Leblanc Syndicate broke in to steal Yuna's Garment Grid in order to host an outrageous concert.

Alia and Korra had to admit that they found the city rather lovely since this was their first time here in Luca. The rest of the Gullwings were excited to be here as they loved being in a city as vibrant as Luca.

Paine walked off the harbor with the rest of the Gullwings following their leader. "I've gotten word that Baralai hasn't arrived to Luca yet," said Paine. "He won't be here for another couple of hours. So I guess we have some time to kill." The woman rested her hand on her waist as she turned to her crew. She could see that they weren't exactly thrilled by the wait since everyone wanted to know who the Original Ones were.

Well, in order to salvage the morale of her crew, Paine had to do something a little more appealing. She had to stroke their more carefree sides in order to pick them up.

"So, what do you all want to do?" asked Paine.

Vidina and Seiki were the first to scream out that they wanted to go to the Blitzball Stadium. The two, young men already took off running towards the stadium before anyone could even agree to join them.

Shaking their heads, Haru and Mizuki had to admit that those two were trouble. But they were excited to take off to the stadium as well since they were hoping to catch a game.

The rest of the crew ran towards the stadium too as the fresh ocean air hit their senses. The ocean off Luca's coast was as clear and blue as ever, free from any toxin. So they could hear the excited cheers of children who splashed around in the water, while sailors worked on loading and unloading their ships' goods.

Running towards the stadium's box office, the Gullwings were there just in time to spot that the box office was closed. There unfortunately weren't any games playing today, which really did suck because it killed their buzz.

"Aw man!" said Seiki as he kicked the ground. "I was hoping to see the Al Bhed Psyches play."

"It's Aurochs all the way, bro!" said Vidina as he was fiercely protective over his father's team.

"PSYCHES!

"AUROCHS!"

"Oh shut up!" said Mizuki as she punched them both in the shoulders. The two teens yelped as they walked away from each other.

Haru started to shake his head at his sister, unable to believe what was going on in her head. He was about to back away when he accidently bumped into someone. "Is there a particular reason why your sister is so violent?" said an oddly familiar voice.

A soft yelp escaped from Haru as he spun around to find Arthur standing behind him.

Arthur had a broad grin on his face as his sister, Morgana, stood beside him. It was a surprise to see the sibling team of Sphere Hunters in Luca, but then again the Gullwing shouldn't be that surprise. Luca was one of the most popular towns for Sphere Hunters to gather to.

Haru immediately began to blush as he found himself unable to say a word, while his sister tried to back him up. She pulled her younger brother back, grinning as she bragged about her tough nature. At least this time she was sober so she could at least make a better impression on her brother's crush.

It was hardly a better impression though.

* * *

From the mishaps of the latest encounter, Haru found himself alone with Arthur as the two of them walked around the harbor. Haru had to admit that Arthur looked like a true, prince charming with the way that he looked and carried himself. It was almost like a fairy tale as Haru found himself feeling a little too awkward around the young man.

Not that Arthur was much better. While he was a good actor, he also felt a swarm of butterflies fluttering around his stomach as he walked with Haru.

"So, you're going to have a meeting with Praetor Baralai?" asked Arthur. "Didn't you just have a meeting with him in Bevelle?"

Not wanting to risk saying anything aloud, Haru created a believable story. "That previous meeting ran too short since we were all busy," said Haru. "Besides, when you're the child of the High Summoner, everybody wants to have a meeting with you. I don't think you'd believe me if I told you how many people I've had to deny my presence."

A chuckle escaped from Arthur's throat as he spun his back towards the ocean. He bowed towards Haru as he extended a hand out to him. "Then I am honored to be in your presence, Speaker Haru," said Arthur.

Haru couldn't help but to chuckle as well as he grabbed hold of Arthur's hand and pulled him away from the ocean. He didn't want to risk the blond teen falling into the ocean and losing sight of him forever.

Pulling a little too hard though, Haru ended up losing his footing. He nearly landed on his ass, but Arthur was quick on his feet too as he took control of the situation. Arthur was able to pull Haru into his arms as he grounded his feet to the wooden dock.

A little too close then they normally had been before, Arthur and Haru both had a rosy tint form on their faces.

Haru nearly bit down on his lips, which wouldn't have gone unnoticed by Arthur if he weren't careful. Haru got himself free of Arthur's arms though as he recomposed himself, yet still found himself daring enough to ask a question. "Umm…Arthur, would you like to go out with me?" asked Haru. "On a date?"

Arthur placed his hand on the hilt of his sword as he regained control once more. He wasn't one who didn't like to be taken off his guard, he'd prefer doing the swooping. "I kind of thought that this was one," Arthur said with a stunning smile forming on his face.

That round went to Arthur as Haru was blushing fiercely now.

Before the two could resume or start their date, they heard a series of yells that caught their attention. The both of them stumbled back on the harbor as they noticed a crowd of people suddenly appearing on the harbor.

It was obvious why they were here, Haru had gone through this many times with his sister.

A little man in red robes rushed towards the duo with Haru recognizing that becky mask that he wore. It was the concert planner extraordinaire, Tobli.

"Sir Haru!" said Tobli. "What a spectacular surprise! I was just planning a concert when I spotted your stunning airship! Now, my concert can be a smashing success with you here! You will perform for stellar number for your adoring fans like your mother did before you, will you?"

In the past, Haru always managed to escape from Tobli before the word concert got thrown out there. His mother warned him numerous times to avoid Tobli at all costs, but she also told him that if he caught you then you had no choice but to go with it.

Haru turned towards Arthur who simply was laughing at him. The charming prince lost a few points now as Haru finally decided to listen to his mother's words.

"Alright, Tobli," said Haru. "I'll perform at your concert."

"Wonderful!" shouted Tobli as he jumped into the air. "Yunapaloza is officially back on track, people! And this year, we have the most special of guest performers, son of Spira's favorite High Summoner, HARU!"

Tobli's words echoed throughout the harbor with possibly half of Luca hearing him too. Everyone pretty much dropped what they were doing and started to cheer at the top of their lungs.

Haru sighed as he couldn't believe that he had gotten dragged into this, while Arthur found this to be rather amusing since he wanted to see what this Yunapaloza was all about.

Even if it meant that their date had to be put on hold.

* * *

Walking up to the stage, Haru wasn't sure if he should be having second thoughts about this or not. He thought about turning back but he could hear the screams of the crowd as he turned his towards the softly, lit stage. Backstage, Haru took in a deep breath to gather his courage since he couldn't exactly disappoint all of Spira.

The teen had no idea how he did it, but Tobli pulled off organizing a concert within three hours. Half of Luca crowded the Blitzball Stadium were the concert was to be held. As for those who couldn't be physically there, there were sphere cameras at every corner of the stage to broadcast it to everyone in Spira.

The dome was opened up to let in the glorious sun as the loud crowd cheered for the young man to come to the stage.

"Alright then," Haru whispered to himself, "I guess it's time to break a leg. Figuratively, of course."

Moving on his own, Haru climbed up the steps until he reached the pedestal. He tilted his head down, waiting until the music started to play and the Machina caused the pedestal to rise so that he was on the stage.

It took but a second before a series of lights flashed at once with the stadium releasing a chorus of screams for the young man. Haru took only a second to stare at the crowd, focusing on the grand box where the rest of the Gullwings were at. While it shouldn't have been physically possibly, Haru found himself able to spot Arthur in the private box and found a strange sensation swelling from his heart.

Dressed in a long, white sweater, Haru had his robe opened and a pair of small, white shorts to go with his outfit. He didn't wear a shirt underneath so the crowd could see his skinny, pale chest whenever his sweater flew a little too open.

Taking a few steps forward, Haru held up his microphone as he prepared to sing.

"Take off all of your skin and brave when you are free. Shake off all of your sins and give them to me," sang Haru as he peeled off part of his sweater to expose his shoulder. He covered himself back up soon after that display as he continued to sing. "Close up, let me back yea. I wanna be yours, wanna be your hero. And my heart beats."

Holding his fist up into the air, Haru let out a powerful burst of vocals for the crowd. "Like the empires of the world unite. We are alive. And the stars make love to the universe. You're my wildfire every single night. We are alive. And the stars make love to the universe. And you touch me and I'm like and I'm like and I'm like!"

"Wooo wooo. And I'm like woo woo. And I'm like woo woo. And I'm like woo."

Haru started to walk along his small stage, looking out to the vast crowd. He listened to their loud cries, but he didn't allow them to overpower his vocals. "I will follow you down wherever you go. I, I'm, baby, I'm bound to you and do you know? Closer, pull me in tight I wanna be yours, wanna be your hero. And my heart beats."

"Like the empires of the world unite. We are alive. And the stars make love to the universe. You're my wildfire every single night. We are alive. And the stars make love to the universe. And you touch me and I'm like and I'm like and I'm like woo woo!"

"We are alive. Woo woo. And I'm like woo woo. We are alive. Woo!"

"I'm just gonna raise my head. Welcome to the final edge and I'm gonna fall!" Haru sang as high as he could. "I'm just gonna raise my head. And hold you close!"

"Like the empires of the world unite. We are alive. And the stars make love to the universe. You're my wildfire every single night. We are alive. And the stars make love to the universe. And you touch me and I'm like and I'm like and I'm like woo! Woo! And I'm like woo woo. And I'm like woo woo. And I'm like woo!"

Haru dropped his head to the side with the music coming to a close as the crowd erupted in mighty applause around him.

* * *

After performing two more songs, Haru was finally allowed to leave the stage. The concert was over and everyone was beginning to leave. He had to go through Tobli of course since the excited, little man was demanding the teen to help him with future concerts.

No promises were made though, but Haru promised to keep in touch. He got his real clothes to change back into them since he wasn't thrilled with feeling so naked.

Haru got his clothes on and went over towards the special box where his friends were waiting for him. He wanted to get to them since he wanted to know how soon they could get ahold of Baralai since the trouble with the Original Ones still bothered him. He want to know more about these gods in order to figure out how they fitted into all of this.

Midway to the private box, after avoiding a horde of fans, Haru bumped into a familiar person. He felt a pair of arms snack around him until he could see that it was Arthur that had caught him.

"We really have to stop running into each other like this," said Arthur. "It's becoming a little bit of a cliché."

A smile grew on Haru's face as he didn't find himself fighting Arthur's embrace. "Yeah, you're probably right about that," he said, softly. "Umm…I'm sorry that our date kind of got hijacked by everyone in Spira."

Arthur started to chuckle a little as he continued to hang onto Haru. He found it rather pleasurable too to keep his arms around him. "It's alright. The demands of the people come first," said Arthur. "But I hate to say that my sister and I need to leave Luca now. We have to go hunting."

"Oh," said Haru. "Well, I suppose I'll see you soon then."

Nodding his head, Arthur promised to see him soon. But before he left, he wanted to leave behind one more promise for Haru.

Keeping hold of Haru by his arms, Arthur slowly began to lean towards him. Haru felt the air leave his body for a second as he couldn't believe what was about to happen. Haru didn't fight it though since he wanted this moment to happen too, but it didn't stop his face from turning bright red as Arthur's lips connected with his.

Fireworks went off in his mind as Haru found his suddenly weak. It was a good thing that Arthur was holding onto him otherwise he would've fallen to the ground.

Haru was still out of breath when the kiss ended.

"Next time we meet," said Arthur, "I promise to take you on a proper date, without any interruptions."

Haru's face was still red though as he found the strength to stand on his own. He kept a smile on his face though as he still tasted Arthur's lips over his. "I'm going to hold you to that," said Haru.

Arthur promised that he was a man of his word. The young man lightly touched Haru's hand, contemplating a second kiss but decided it would be best saved for their next meeting as he bid Haru a safe journey.

* * *

Arriving into the Council Box, Haru was in for another surprise. He entered the box where he discovered more than just the Gullwings waiting for him. Baralai was amongst them as well, but he wasn't alone. More guests were with him, people that Haru hadn't seen in a while.

All of the Council members were present: Elder Kimahri, Commander Lucil, Gippal, and Lord Tromell. Even more importantly, the surviving Legendary Guardians of Yuna were here. Wakka, Lulu, and Rikku had been called in for this particular meeting since it was of grave importance.

Haru's eyes widened as he saw his entire family present, unable to believe that they had all came to Luca for this meeting. He stayed still for a moment until Mizuki grabbed hold of him and took him over to the rest of them. He soon enough heard the praise from everyone for the concert that he got dragged into as they found his performance to be rather spectacular.

Gippal had his hand on Seiki's head, while Rikku was holding onto her son's arm. Vidina stood between his parents, happy to be around them again. Mizuki brought Haru over towards Wakka and Lulu since the couple were like parents to them. What Haru didn't see was the awkward meeting between Tromell and Alia, but no one really understood why.

"I'm glad that everyone is here," said Haru. "But…why is everyone here?"

The windows were all blacked out with no guards present at all. The risk of anything getting out was kept to a minimum since what Baralai had to say was too grave.

All of this secrecy creeped Haru out, but he knew that New Yevon liked its secrets.

Baralai made his way towards the center of the room so that everyone could hear this. "I brought everyone here because this is just too important," said Baralai. "After all the secrets that Temples kept, it's time that you all knew at least the truth."

"About the gods?" asked Alia.

"Yes," said Baralai. "The Aeon Gods."

Everyone gasped, but Rikku was amongst the loudest ones. The mere mention of the Aeons had a larger impact on her since she remembered Yuna's pain when Shuyin corrupted the Aeons that had once fought beside them. Paine also had a strong memory of that too, which was a pain that she didn't want to see again.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Wakka. "How can there be Aeons who are gods? The Aeons are no more since Yuna performed the Final Sending."

"No," said Baralai, "Yuna only sent the Aeons that were part of the Temples and the Fayth that were part of Sin."

"But who are the gods though?" asked Lulu.

Baralai sighed as he walked over towards the windows. "The Aeon Gods are referred to as the Original Ones," said Baralai. "They're called that because they are the first Aeons. Yevon doesn't have much recorded about the gods because they predate Bevelle and Zanarkand by four thousand years."

Once more, everyone was taken aback by what Baralai had just said. Yet, they knew that this was only the beginning so they braced themselves for more secrets.

"I can't tell you exactly how old Spira is," said Baralai, "because records of that are lost. However, I can confirm that the gods are or almost as old as Spira is. There are nine gods, each god representing a different element except for the ninth god who is simply referred to as The All. I do that at some point, the other eight Aeon Gods abused their powers and nearly destroyed Spira because of it, however, the ninth Aeon God imprisoned each of them and sealed them away on the grounds that would eventually become Zanarkand."

Seiki scratched his nose as he processed what Baralai had just said. "That would explain how Lady Yunalesca was able to get her hands on the gods," said Seiki. "They were already there."

"Exactly," said Baralai. "From what I uncovered and what was on the sphere, it is clear to me that Yu Yevon had Lady Yunalesca hide the Aeon Gods so that no Summoner could ever find them. They knew that if a Summoner made a pact with any of the Aeon Gods that they would then have the power to obliterate Sin, permanently."

"That sounds like something they'd do," said Gippal. "They were hell-bent on making Spira suffer for Zanarkand."

Haru and Mizuki flinched from that since they knew that neither one of them would've existed if it hadn't been for Yu Yevon's actions. Their father was a Dream of the Fayth, born from Yu Yevon's plans, and sent by the Fayth of Zanarkand to end their suffering.

"So then how do these advanced Machina fit in with the gods?" asked Vidina.

"I'm not sure," said Baralai. "I have Shinra researching the Machina that attacked you at Djose, but I'm afraid that there isn't much else I can tell you. I cannot confirm if they are connected or if this is all some sort of coincidence."

Elder Kimahri closed his eyes as he shook his head at this. "All connected," said the Elder. "Nothing is a coincidence."

"I must agree with Elder Kimahri," said Tromell. "Now, without the ability to contact the Fayth, we cannot find out any more about the gods or who is controlling the Machina."

"The only thing we can do now is wait and hope that the one pulling the strings reveals himself," said Paine.

As much as it pained everyone to admit, it was true. There wasn't much else that they could do but wait to see how things play out. But at least now they knew more about Spira's hidden past, even if what Baralai gave them arose more questions than there were answers.

For now, everyone agreed that it would be up to the Gullwings to continue investigating this mess. The Council will do everything that they can, but they didn't want to risk creating a panic by getting directly involved. The Gullwings were their best chance at finding out what was really going on in Spira and put a stop to the threat before it was too late.

They all just had to hope that they could stop this mess before it got out of hand.

* * *

The sun had set over Luca as they made their way out of the city. Arthur and Morgana had no true destination set as they made their way toward the Highroad. The siblings were at a loss at what to do exactly since they had no clear direction at the moment.

Holding out her hand to light up the grassy path, Morgana eventually spotted a hover that would take them to a travel agency. She was about to take off when she heard a familiar buzzing sound as she told Arthur to stay still. Her brother raised an eyebrow only to hear the sound too and found a smile growing on his face. They were about to receive their latest orders now.

A small drone flew across the Highroad with Arthur and Morgana spotting the drone.

Arthur took hold of the small Machina as he pointed the drone's camera away from them. A small image appeared from the drone as it was a recording geared to the sibling duo.

"Return to the homeland at once," said the recording. "The Queen wishes to speak with you. It is time to mobilize our forces."

The image went dead after that as the drone began to deactivate. Arthur tossed the Machina aside as it was clear that it would no longer be of any use to them. Arthur turned towards Morgana as he waited for her to lead the way.

Morgana held up her hand once more before snapping her fingers. A burst of golden light appeared around them with Pyreflies gathering at a single spot. From there, Morgana hurled what appeared to be a tarot card at the Pyreflies in order to initiate a summoning of her own.

Rising before them, a golden bird let out a gentle cry at the siblings. The two-headed bird with rainbow feathers that glistened against the setting sun started to spreads its magnificent wings. Morgana and Arthur approached the bird as they took to the air, ascending up into the sky until they vanished into the heavens.

* * *

End!

P.S. If you were wondering what the song was, it was "Empire" by Shakira.


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Hello readers! I won't keep you waiting so read and review! **

**Darkness Gathers:**

A cold chill had crept into the office as Baralai stood with the Legendary Guardians who were once prepared to lay down their lives to save Spira from Sin. The surviving Guardians had lost so much since the start of Yuna's pilgrimage to Zanarkand, and it pained them to admit that the Eternal Calm could be crumbling. It felt particularly painful for Rikku as she had seen the signs once before with Shuyin and Vegnagun.

Covering her swirly, green eyes, Rikku tried hard not to relive that torment. However, it came soon enough though as she placed her hand over her heart. "Gods and ancient Machina," whispered Rikku. "Could it get any worse?"

"These are troubling times for Spira," admitted Wakka, while he took a seat beside his wife. His thoughts returned to the kids that had been sent off on their mission. It killed him to see them having to put themselves in danger like their group had done almost twenty years ago. "I wish the kids didn't have to go through this. We saved Spira so that our children would never know the pain that we went through!"

Lulu saw this all as a twisted cycle. She could almost hear Maester Seymour's villainous laugh from the Farplane, mocking them for believing that they could save Spira from the cycle of death. "Peace can never be eternal so it seems," whispered Lulu. "We must've been kidding ourselves that we could've shielded the children from this suffering."

Nodding his head, Kimahri had similar sentiments as he thought of his tribe. "Ronso know of suffering," said Kimahri. "But Ronso never give up either. Ronso believe in a brighter tomorrow." The prideful elder faced away from the group as he thought of the Guado family that had climbed Mt. Gagazet. They had climbed to prove themselves worthy to the mountain as well as to pray for peace between Ronso and Guado. That gave Kimahri the belief that peace could be possible.

It would just take time.

Gippal and Baralai kept their feelings about this to themselves. They knew Spira was in trouble, but even though Yuna had entrusted them with leading Spira to prosperity, they couldn't help but to feel as if though they were failing her. They all felt guilty, the High Summoner's Guardians feeling as if they could've done more to protect Yuna's dream of Spira at peace.

"We must believe in the Gullwings," said Baralai. "If they can uncover the mysterious of the Machina and the gods then it'll be them."

"Our future is in the hands of a bunch of kids," said Gippal as he shook his head. "Even though one of them is my son, I can't help but to feel unsure about this. However, if there are any group of people who can prevent the Eternal Calm from ending then it 'll have to be Yuna's children."

In all her infinite wisdom, Lulu felt as if she knew the secret to saving them all. She could see their salvation through the new generation of Gullwings, made up of children who never knew the torment that was Sin. "It'll take them all working together," said Lulu. "If they come together like we did to destroy Sin, then they can save Spira from whatever is threatening Spira's peace now. All we can do is believe in them and support them as best we can."

* * *

Head on his pillow, Haru tried to get as much sleep as he could afford. After his performance in Luca and the truth that Baralai uncovered about the Aeon Gods, Haru knew that he earned some well-deserved rest to process everything that's happened.

There was soft snoring in the room as Vidina too was sleeping peacefully. He was sleeping on one side of the room, while Haru slept on the opposite end. They were gently rocked to their slumber as the Celsius hovered above the skies.

Retreating further into his blankets, it didn't take too long at all for Haru to get into a peaceful sleep. His mind slowly began to fade from the conscious realm as he focused instead on the land of dreams. And in his peaceful retreat, there was only one thing that stood out to him in the beautiful dreams that were conjured before him.

Arthur was in the dream with Haru. The two of them stood at the ruins of Zanarkand, a place where Haru only heard stories of, but knew that his father was from there.

Pyreflies floated everywhere in the dream as Haru wandered closer towards the ruins of the fallen city. Haru's progress was halted though when Arthur called his name out, only something was off. It wasn't his name though, at least not truly. Arthur had called him something else, triggering the scenery to change.

What was once a city of ruins changed into the astonishing, Machina city of old.

Zanarkand appeared in its glittery prime with millions of souls brought back for the dream.

Even if it was only a dream, Haru felt his mind at awe by the Machina City. The teen had his hand taken by Arthur as he led them towards the Blitzball Stadium as they heard the cries of thousands of people.

It would be a date unlike any other, promised Arthur as they ran towards the stadium. Haru was full of joy and laughter in the beautiful dream as he saw the true magnificence of the city.

But in the end though, it was all just a dream, one brought on by Haru's wild imagination for the city that his father had called home.

* * *

Holding up part of a Machina, Alia tried to figure out exactly what it was in her hand. She had spent half of her morning working on the bridge with Seiki as she tried to study the Machina that the Gullwings relied on.

Seiki was more than willing to teach Alia about Machina since no one else in the team seemed interested enough to learn. He had the other half of the part for the Machina. Carefully, he took Alia's part to put them both together in order to create a remote, visual drone.

"You know," said Alia, "I still cannot understand why only the Al Bhed can use Machina. Does it just come more naturally to your people?"

"Not really," said Seiki as he placed the drone away. He got up from his chair on the bridge as he showed off more Machina to Alia. "We're just better with Machina because we're the only people in Spira who've used and actively studied Machina in the last thousand years. Even the Temples relied on the Al Bhed for our expertise even though the Machina belonged to the Temples and they held all of the records."

Alia hovered beside Seiki as she watched his presentation. He was trying to give her a crash course on Machina, helping her to understand all of the details on the various types of Machina.

There wasn't enough time to go into full detail, so he kept things on a general level. He didn't want to completely overwhelm her with too much information.

Gazing at a monitor, Alia saw over a dozen variations of Machina. She tried to memorize them all, while listening to Seiki's explanations for them.

Seiki was about to move on to some of the critical part of a Machina when the sirens on the Celsius began to go off. The teen ran towards the main computer with Alia following behind him so that she could see what he was doing. Inputting a few commands, Seiki was able to receive transmission of a distress signal.

"This is odd," said Seiki. "There appears to be trouble brewing at the Calm Lands. I don't have very many details though other than…hold on."

Alia was hanging off the edge as she listened to the audio as well. They both heard the word that alerted them to the mysterious enemy that was plaguing Spira.

Unfamiliar Machina were wandering around various parts of the Calm Lands, attacking settlement areas. The signal had come from one of Rin's Travel Agencies, which had yet to be assaulted by the Machina, but precautions were taken to evacuate people to the neighboring Mt. Gagazet and Bevelle.

"Do you think our enemy will finally show themselves?" asked Alia.

"There's only one way to find out," said Seiki as he alerted everyone else on the ship.

It was time for the Gullwings to set course for the Calm Lands.

* * *

Flying high into the heavens, the beast that Morgana summoned brought them home.

High above the clouds was an entire continent that floated in the sky. The creature was able to see through the barriers that had protected Morgana and Arthur's homeland for a thousand years. The creature gave out a mighty cry as the golden bird flew towards the continent, flying towards a city at the heart of this strange land.

The creature would land at a radiant palace at the core of the city. The siblings landed on their feet as the creature faded from sight as Morgana simply thanked it for bringing them home.

Arthur held onto the hilt of his sword as he extended his arm out to Morgana who gracefully took it. The siblings walked down the golden road as they approached the magnificent, white castle that stood before them.

The noise of the city did not cross these walls, allowing peace to those who resided within the castle. This sanctuary was where the siblings had spent their lives, blissfully unaware of the torment that befell Spira.

Entering the palace, Arthur and Morgana were greeted by the soldiers dressed in dark-blue, body armor. They were armed with various weapons, none of which anyone on Spira had seen before. The soldiers bowed before the siblings as they urged them to continue to the throne room where the queen expected them.

Once they arrived to the large set of wooden doors, Morgana waved her hand forward to open them. Arthur and her entered the throne room where they found it to empty except for one man who stood near the throne. Various banners were hung along the walls with crimson curtains covering the windows.

A banner with the symbol of their nation was suspended over the throne, welcoming the siblings back home to Avalon.

The bronze-skinned man dressed in form-fitted, blue robes that stood at the throne straightened his posture before the siblings. "I see that you've returned from your journey on the surface world, Your Majesties," said the older man. Appearing to be in this forties, the man was pleased to see them both home. "What have you learned of Spira?"

"It is an interesting land, sorcerer," said Morgana. "Those peasants though are such a sad lot though. Their level of technology is so far behind Avalon."

"That is because of Sin, Princess Morgana," said the older man as he ran his hand through his dark beard. "What say you, Prince Arthur? Did you find the surface world as primitive as your sister does?"

"Yes," said Arthur, "but there is a special resilience amongst the people that I find admirable. I wish I had more time to study them, Merlin."

Morgana had to stifle back a chuckle as she knew what that really meant. Her brother's painfully obvious attraction to the High Summoner's son was what he wanted more time to study.

Merlin was about to speak to the children again only to hear another set of doors opened up. He immediately dropped to his knees along with Arthur and Morgana as the queen was prepared to bless them with her presence.

Entering the throne room from her private entrance, the Queen of Avalon showed herself to the sorcerer and her children. She gracefully approached her throne, resting on the throne as she called out the names of her children. Arthur and Morgana raised their heads up so that they could see their always, radiant mother.

Queen Igraine Pendragon appeared as a woman in her early thirties, but was far older than that. Her lean figure, her long-blonde hair, and flawless complexion resulted in many of men desiring to be in her presence. Igraine used her beautiful appearance to her advantage as she used her clever mind to rule over Avalon.

"My children," Queen Igraine said, softly, "now is the time for the Pendragon Empire to bring about a new age. With Sin no more, it will only be a matter of time before the People of the Land discover of Avalon. They will try to dominate our home; we mustn't allow that to happen."

"Do you really think them capable of such a feet, mother?" asked Arthur.

"Yes, I do, my son," said the queen. "I have seen what these people will do. The descendants of the Great Machina War can only bring ruin to the world. That is why we, the Enlightened Ones, must usher Spira into a new golden age. But to bring about this beautiful world, we must eliminate those who can lead resistance."

"The Spiran Council?" said Morgana.

"No," said the queen. "The Council isn't our biggest threat. The ones we need to be concerned with are the Gullwings. The son and daughter of the High Summoner who vanquished Sin can lead rebellion against our rule. Therefore, they must be eliminated first before we can save Spira from eternal suffering. That is why I've already sent Lancelot to the surface world so that he may begin our operation."

Arthur gasped when he heard of this. It was bad enough that Haru and the Gullwings were his mother's targets, but the fact that she had sent Lancelot to personally eliminate them was terrifying. Lancelot was the greatest general in all of Avalon, his mother's right-hand man. His word was second only to Merlin who was the wisest of all sages.

Queen Igraine stood up from her throne as she ordered her children to return to the surface world to assist Lancelot on his mission. She didn't allow any of them the chance to speak as she teleported away from her throne, returning to her chambers.

Without hesitation, Merlin waved Arthur and Morgana farewell as he instructed them to follow their mother's command. He already had proper, travel arrangements set up for them so that they could join Lancelot's forces at the Calm Lands.

Arthur and Morgana had no other choice but to obey. While Morgana felt no conflict to obey her mother's commands, Arthur was hesitating as he followed his sister. He didn't want to bring harm to Haru, but he couldn't go against the commands of his mother.

What could he do though to keep Haru safe?

* * *

The journey across Spira took the Gullwings to the Calm Lands now.

Mizuki led the team out of the airship, while Paine remained behind to coordinate things. According to the distress signal, something big was brewing at the Calm Lands and would need to be swiftly dealt with. The Ronso and Warrior Monks of Bevelle were preparing for a battle if necessary in order to provide the Gullwings with the support that was needed to deal with the Machina trouble.

Covering his eyes with his goggles, Seiki could already hear Spirans cursing the Machine Faction for the current Machina trouble. Even though they had nothing to do with it, Spira's history was Machina always led to trouble.

"Let's get going," said Alia, while holding onto her katana.

The Gullwings were heading over towards Rin's Travel Agency when they got a transmission from the Celsius already. Haru played the transmission for everyone to hear as they heard from Paine that she could already detect strange Machina in their vicinity.

Seiki patted his bags as he had some tools to help him dismantle troublesome Machina. Vidina was geared up too as he was ready to cast enough Thunder spells to scramble any Machina that tried to come their way.

Korra remained calm though, while the others were planning their next move. The Ronso had her eyes closed as she could hear something in the horizon. Immediately taking hold of her lance, she alerted everyone that something was heading towards them.

There was a howl in the sky before the Gullwings caught sight of what appeared to be a Machina flying towards the Celsius. They couldn't fully make out the Machina, but they spotted it as it released a series of missiles at the Celsius with Paine doing everything that she could to get the airship from being hit.

It wasn't enough though. The missiles still managed to hit the Celsius, causing enough damage to force Paine to get away from the Calm Lands. She flew the airship higher into the sky with the Machina still chasing her until they both disappeared into the clouds.

And just like that, the Gullwings lost communication with their leader and access to their airship.

* * *

Soldiers in black, body armor carrying rifles that they had pointed at the civilians that tried to flee surrounded the travel agency. The soldiers shouted at the civilians, while one soldier in particular stood out from the rest. He was clearly the leader of the operation as he kept the soldiers in line from breaking his command.

General Lancelot of the Pendragon Empire smiled at the progress his operation was making. Standing in his silver armor, the general removed his face helmet to reveal a bald, dark-skinned man underneath. His larger frame was covered up nicely by his armor with his armor carrying the royal crest of the Empire over his left breast.

"Now, do not act rash, Spirans," said Lancelot. "The Pendragon Empire does not wish you harm. We are here to reign over you, elevating you to the prosperity that you could never know while under the Teachings of Yevon's control."

Lancelot's words did nothing to calm the people. The trapped citizens were panicking as they tried to find a way to escape from these lunatics.

The Empire's soldiers kept their weapons raised when a grenade landed near them. The soldiers immediately began to run away only for the grenade to be set, triggering an explosion that knocked a quarter of the soldiers down. More soldiers were under attack as well when a series of thunderbolts came down from the sky, blasting the soldiers that tried to back up their fallen comrades.

This opening allowed the civilians to begin their escape from the travel agency. Lancelot allowed the civilians to flee as he had whom he really wanted now.

Appearing over a nearby hill, the Gullwings showed themselves to Lancelot and his soldiers.

"Finally, we meet, Gullwings," said Lancelot. "I am General Lancelot of the Pendragon Empire! I have been sent here by Her Majesty, Queen Igraine Pendragon, to eliminate you so that you may not interfere with her rule over Spira!"

"Pendragon Empire?" said Mizuki as she drew out her sword. "What the hell are you talking about, dude? There are no empires on Spira!"

Chuckling, it amused Lancelot to no end to see how little the Spirans knew about the world. He called his soldiers back as he snapped his fingers to summon the Machina that they developed special for the Gullwings. "There are no empires on the land," said Lancelot, "but you might want to look to the sky for answers!"

The roar of a Machina's engines deafened the Gullwings as they stumbled back. Arising from the ground was a large, scorpion-like Machina with saws for claws. The Machina swung its saw arms towards the Gullwings, causing the group of Sphere Hunters to jump back in order to avoid getting hit.

Seiki tossed another of his grenades at the Machina, hoping to do some damage to it. The grenade went off, but the Machina's armor was too thick to be damaged even in the slightest by the grenade. It responded to Seiki's attack by firing a laser blast from its tail that was inches away from striking the Al Bhed teen.

Stepping away from the fight, Lancelot allowed the Machina to dispose of the Gullwings. He called his soldiers back as well so that they could all just sit back and enjoy the show.

Korra jumped towards the Machina as she triggered one of the Fiend abilities that she had learned on Mt. Gagazet. She fired an intense blast of energy from her mouth, which struck the Machina on its torso. The attack was as ineffective as Seiki's grenade though, which was making this fight look horrible for them.

Raising her katana, Alia gathered energy from her own body for her attack. She swung her katana forward to release a slash of violet energy that struck the Machina's head. This briefly stunned the Machina, allowing Mizuki to run up towards it for a close-range attack. The teen slashed her sword against the Machina to learn that her sword wasn't sharp enough to damage this armor. Mizuki had to get the hell out of there before the Machina recovered and sawed her in half.

From there, Haru was able to fire a few rounds from his magical gun. His magic bullets proved to hardly be effective against the Machina, but it was all that they had to work with. He kept on blasting the Machina until it decided to turn its attention onto him. The Machina swung its saw arm at Haru, nearly hitting the young man when Korra grabbed him and took him out of the Machina's range.

Vidina activated his bracelets as he brought down a series of thunderbolts down from the sky. He did all that he could to bombard the Machina with his devastating, magical blasts. The thunder stalled the Machina, but it wasn't enough to stop its march towards them.

"I've never seen such powerful Machina," said Seiki. "It's stronger than the one that attacked us at Djose."

"Well, at least we know who's responsible for the Ancient Machina sightings," said Alia.

Haru nodded his head as he tried to hold up his gun. The strength left his body too quickly though, causing him to drop to his knees as he used too much mana already.

Mizuki and Vidina were unsure of what to do now about this threat. The Machina was just too strong for them all.

Things just weren't looking good for them when Korra stepped forward. The Ronso got closer towards the Machina, closer than the rest of them were willing to get. She held up her index finger as the Machina prepared to blast her with its laser tail. Only before it could strike, Korra unleashed a powerful surge of electrical energy from her body, which she channeled, directly into the Machina.

Sparks were set off all around the Machina, damaging vital components. The Machina collapsed at that moment with it struggling to recover from the damage that it just sustained.

"How did you do that!" shouted Mizuki as she stared at the damaged Machina.

"Machina live on mountain too," said Korra. "Ronso learn how to fight Machina with Fiend Magic."

The team applauded Korra for disabling the Machina. They knew that the damage probably wouldn't last for much longer, and they had to deal with Lancelot's soldiers. Responding to that threat, Vidina gathered a ball of white light to his hand. He flung the spell, calling forth on a flare to briefly blind the soldiers.

From there, the Gullwings took off running away from the Empire's forces as the travel agency went up in smoke.

* * *

The soldiers chased the Sphere Hunters as they tried to flee the Calm Lands.

Gunfire followed them, which put the Gullwings in grave danger on the flat plains.

The only thing that they had to protect themselves with was the White Magic that Haru cast to protect them from their bullets. It took an immense amount of concentration though to keep a constant shield over them, which led to Korra being needed to carry him on her back.

Vidina tried his best to offer some cover fire as well since Mizuki and Alia were useless to them at the moment. Close-range fighters would do them no good, so the group needed Vidina's Black Magic to stall the Empire's soldiers for as long as possible. Chanting a few words under his breath, Vidina hurled a series of fireballs at the soldiers.

While the fireballs didn't hit anyone directly, the fireballs did erupt when they came into contact with the ground. The resulting explosions kept the soldiers at bay for a while at least long enough to give the Gullwings a few more yards of space.

The extra space did help though. It allowed Seiki enough time to pull out one last toy from his bag as he activated a high-grade explosive. The rest of his Machina might've been ineffective against that monstrosity that the Empire had at their disposal, but this would work against soldiers.

Pulling the plug, Seiki dropped to one knee as he threw the explosive as hard as he could. Alia dragged him back to his feet so that they could continue running while the explosive landed near the approaching soldiers.

All it took was a second for the explosive to be set off. A big explosion had arisen to decimate most of the soldiers, while leaving behind only a few survivors. It would take the survivors a long time to recover though and it also meant that they might expect the Machina from the Travel Agency to recover by then if the Gullwings didn't keep running.

Haru finally could drop his spell as Korra allowed him to stand on his own. The magic drained him, but he had enough strength to keep running alongside his team as Mizuki pushed him to keep going.

"Where can we go now?" asked Vidina.

The Gullwings approached a rocky wall as they stopped before the only hill on the main trail. They had to climb the slope on the other side in order to get close to Bevelle and the Macalania Woods, but that would take too much time.

Growling at the wall, Korra grabbed Haru by the back of his shirt before launching them both into the air. The Ronso jumped with remarkable height even with Haru weighing her down until they landed on top of the hill. Korra then went back down as she took Seiki with her this time around.

Sensing what she was trying to do, Vidina decided to help her out. He stepped back as he gathered his magic before blasting a gust of wind at Mizuki and Alia, sending them both up to the top of the hill. He used his magic on himself next, feeling an exhilarating rush as it sent him to the top where the rest of the group stood.

Things were quieter in the Calm Lands as the sun was beginning to set, but smoke could be seen from the various corners. The Empire was attacking every section of the Calm Lands as they attempted to hunt the Gullwings.

While there were never many settlements on the Calm Lands, it was still terrible to see such a travesty.

"All we can do now is keep running," said Alia. "We'll be safer in the woods for now."

"The dying woods will offer protection to us," said Korra.

Haru nodded his head as he started to walk away from the Calm Lands. A single tear running down his cheek from the devastation they had seen on this once joyful place.

The others started to follow Haru as well, heart-broken by the damage done.

* * *

Standing at his post, Arthur watched his area of the Calm Lands for any sign of the Gullwings. He had seen explosions near the Travel Agency and other sections of the Calm Lands, but things had gotten "calm" for the past half an hour. Their communication networks didn't specify that the Gullwings had been killed or captured, so Arthur could only assume that Lancelot's operation hadn't succeeded yet.

Arthur kept his troops away from his sector since he wasn't prepared to lose Haru. The young man held up a pair of binoculars as he wanted to catch the Gullwings first. He had to make sure that no one else saw them as they tried to escape.

Well, not so much capture them, but to ensure that they got out of the Calm Lands without anyone from the Empire realizing where they fled to. At least Arthur didn't have to worry about Lancelot or Morgana who were at different points at the Calm Lands.

The Machina detected movement, causing Arthur to take a peak in the direction that he wanted.

Turning a few degrees to the left, Arthur saw Haru and the rest of the Gullwings. He could see them as they tried to make their way towards the Macalania Woods. It would be a smart move on their part since the woods were near Bevelle too.

The Empire's forces weren't ready for a confrontation with Bevelle just yet. It would go against Queen Igraine's orders if Lancelot tried to march against Bevelle.

Arthur used this to his advantage as he kept the Gullwings' escape a mystery from the rest of their forces. He allowed the group to escape since he wanted them to reunite with their airship and to get as far away from here as possible.

Even though it was impossible to protect Haru forever, Arthur knew that he had to hold off the Empire's forces for as long as he possibly could until he thought of a more permanent solution.


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Just a couple of hours late, but well worth the wait, I promise! I've been so busy with family and work lately that I just feel incredibly frustrated. Luckily, the family is gone now so it's just work I have to deal with. WOO! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the update! Read and review!**

**Hunters:**

Keeping the Pendragon Empire off their tails, the Gullwings made it to the outskirts of the Macalania Woods. They passed the route that led to Bevelle since they didn't believe that they had the time to make it to the safety of the city. Considering that they had no idea how the Empire's Machina operated or even where they came from, the group couldn't take any risks against this mysterious enemy.

Mizuki was panting for air as she struck the ground with her sword, using it to keep her upright. "I'm really beginning to hate Machina right now," said Mizuki. "I really don't understand how we're gonna survive a second encounter with that Machina."

Popping his shoulder, Seiki tried to keep the Machina hate to a minimum. He turned to the rest of the group, noting that they all appeared to be exhausted from their encounter with the Machina at the Calm Lands. "We just have to keep moving," said Seiki. "I'll keep working on trying to get into contact with Paine. If we get aboard the airship then we can get as far away as possible."

"That still doesn't fix our main problem," countered Alia. "The Empire will continue to hunt us down, and we still have no idea where they originate from."

"It can't be anywhere on Spira," said Haru. "There hasn't been a true empire since before the Machina War."

Vidina nodded his head as he remembered their history lessons back on Besaid Island. He raised a finger to his lips, thinking about where these people could've possibly come from. "Let's just humor them and they say that they really are an empire, the question is where they've been hiding," said Vidina. "Sin eliminated all major settlements and constantly attacked smaller villages since its birth. How is it that this Pendragon Empire has escaped Sin's fury for the last thousand years?"

That was the question that none of them had the answer to. If the Gullwings could unravel that mystery then they could easily find out where the Empire came from and how they might possibly be able to stop their domination over Spira.

But that also led to them wondering just why the Empire was after them in the first place. What made the Gullwings so much of threat to them when all they were was just a group of Sphere Hunters? Sure, they were the most famous group of Sphere Hunters on Spira, but did that really make them that great of a threat or was it something else?

Answering those questions would take time though; time that they did not have.

Korra raised her head up as her ears picked up something. She looked around the famous, crystal woods for the source of the sound.

All the Ronso saw though was the glistening woods that were said to be "dying" now that the Fayth of Macalania was no longer there to provide her infinite cold. The woods were slowly fading, but not as quickly as the scholars had originally predicted. Still, Korra gazed at the woods, noticing the shine that reflected from the crystal-coated trees. It took her a moment longer before she could hear it clearly.

"Danger coming," said Korra. "I can hear the soldiers."

Panic briefly befell the Gullwings when Mizuki spotted a nearby grove that they could hide for a while. It was surrounded by a thicket of trees, which would keep them covered for a while, especially since they were counting on the fact that the soldiers were not experts of the woods. So carefully, the Gullwings hid themselves behind trees, bushes, and rocks large enough to cover them as they waited for the soldiers to pass.

Minutes ticked by until the first soldier finally arrived. That moment had felt like time stood still as the Gullwings watched more soldiers appeared in the are

All of the soldiers were armed, prepared to eliminate the Gullwings if they caught sight of the group of Sphere Hunters.

"Any sign of them?" said a soldier.

"Not yet," said another. "We have to find them soon though or Queen Igraine will have our heads if we don't find the Summoner's kids!"

"Let's report back to General Lancelot then," said another soldier. "Maybe another squad has found them."

Agreeing to do just that, the soldiers began to run off in another direction. The Gullwings eventually lost sight of the soldiers then Korra confirmed that they were far away enough that she couldn't hear them.

The Gullwings emerged from their hiding places as they stood on the road.

While they didn't hear much, they heard enough to give them a clue as to what was going on. The Empire was under the control over a queen named Igraine who clearly viewed Mizuki and Haru as a threat to her. The soldiers were clearly terrified enough of their queen that they dared not to fail her, which spoke more about her leadership skills than anything else did.

Haru and Mizuki had to admit that they were terrified that somebody actually wanted them dead. They had gone their whole lives being adored just because they were the children of the High Summoner. Never in their wildest dreams did the believe that someone would want to kill them because of who their mother was.

"What makes Mizuki and Haru that much of a threat to this queen?" asked Vidina as he threw his arms behind his head.

That question was painfully obvious at least to Alia who slowly got up to her feet from her hiding place. "If the queen was to lead her forces against Spira," said Alia, "who do you think the people would turn to for salvation?" There was barely a pause amongst them as they all turned to Haru and Mizuki to answer her question. None of them even hesitated on that one since they knew it to be the truth. "Naturally, they would choose Haru and Mizuki above the Council because they are the children of the High Summoner. We might've abandoned the Teachings, the Temples, and even the Fayth, but Spirans will never give up on our Summoners or their descendants."

They were all silent for a moment longer, soaking up everything that Alia said. She was right that Spira would always turn to them for air, so it was time for them to make sure that they would be there to help.

Mizuki decided that they needed to escape from the woods as quickly as possible. Their safest bet was in the Thunder Plains were its harder to operate. From there, they would run to Guadosalam and try to get contact with Paine. If that didn't work then they would seek refuge with the Leblanc Syndicate until they were safe.

"Does that sound like a plan?" said Mizuki as she turned to her companions.

"Yes ma'am!" said Seiki and Vidina as they bowed before their leader.

Haru, Alia, and Korra simply nodded their heads as they agreed to this arrangement. Everyone began to pick up their weapons to resume their escape from their Empire. They prayed that the woods would offer enough protection to allow them outrun the Empire.

Marching onward, the Gullwings continue to run since their lives did depend on it.

* * *

Waving her fingers around, Morgana stood at the edge of the Calm Lands, Bevelle, and the Macalania Woods. The Princess of Avalon was using her magic to sense the Gullwings, keeping track of their movements. The power that the princess wielded was strong, capable of piercing through the natural barriers that existed because of the spirits that bounded themselves to her.

Morgana's senses gave her an idea of where the Gullwings were at as she turned back to the soldiers behind her. Lancelot and Arthur were present as well as she informed the general of where their targets were.

"Come on, men!" shouted General Lancelot.

The soldiers marched on with the general leading the way. Morgana and Arthur remained behind for the moment, allowing their forces to go on without them.

Arthur bore a frown on his face, hurting from what was likely to happen now. He had held off the Empire trying to find Haru for as long as possible, but one of the soldiers had also spotted where the Sphere-Hunters had gone.

Morgana shivered as she stepped closer towards the cooler woods. "Your mercy will get us killed, Arthur," said his sister. "You have to get over your emotions and do what needs to be done."

Raising his head up, Arthur found himself lost by what his sister said. It took him only a second though to realize that she was talking about his feelings for Haru. So it was clear that he wasn't doing that good of a job of keeping his feelings to himself.

"I will do what has to be done, Morgana," said Arthur. "Do not question my commitment."

"I don't question your commitment," said Morgana, "I merely question whether or not you'll follow through in the end. Will you drive your sword through Haru's heart if he were standing before you right now? Or would you chicken out and make yourself an enemy of the Empire?"

Morgana waved her brother off before disappearing into the woods, leaving him alone to his precious feelings.

Arthur tensed up as he placed his hand over his heart. He truly did not know what he would do if the moment came.

Standing at the crossroads, Arthur could feel his heart breaking. He couldn't keep the pieces together, but he fought though to maintain himself. One way or another, he would betray someone dear to him.

The question became then would it be his mother or the boy he's fallen for?

* * *

Sliding down a slope from a crystalized tree, the Gullwings found somewhere safe to rest for a few moments. They had been running for so long that they had no idea how long that they've been out on their own. Seiki had a watch on him though and realized that they had been running for a day straight now.

Mizuki collapsed on the ground as she looked around their peaceful surroundings. They were near a small lake located somewhere in the dying woods. Still, enough trees were alive in this place to provide natural protection from any unwanted eyes. That is why they were using this place to rest until they tried running towards the Thunder Plains again.

"How much longer, do you think?" asked Vidina as he fell near Mizuki.

Haru dropped to the ground with Korra and Alia as the trio was unable to move any further. All the magic that he had used today had drained Haru as he tried everything to keep them hidden from the Empire's forces. As for Korra and Alia, they were simply too tired from taking turns carrying the young man as he continued to work his magic.

Seiki took out a locater device to get a general idea of where in the Macalania Woods they were at. It took him but a few minutes to figure it out and get a good idea of how much longer until they made it to the Thunder Plains. "It's about another four hour walk from here," said the Al Bhed. "If we can rendezvous with Paine there then we're set. Otherwise, we'd have to keep on moving for another day until we reach Guadosalam."

There were mutual groans as everyone was too tired to think about traveling another day on foot. This group of young Spirans were spoiled by the usage of Machina in this new age that they had no memory of what it was like before the Eternal Calm. People had no choice but to walk everywhere since Sin would attack anything made of Machina.

"I hate walking!" cried Mizuki as she fell onto her back.

"To think this is what our parents had to go through all the time," sighed Haru.

"We've really gotten spoiled from riding around in an airship," said Alia.

Korra huffed in agreement as she leaned her back against a tree. The young Ronso closed her eyes, allowing herself a few moments of rest.

They all began to fall asleep too as Haru finished casting a spell. The young, White Mage used a spell to trigger an alarm if anyone from the Empire came within a certain radius of them. This would mean that they would have to get moving again, but knowing that the spell was active meant that they could all get some well-deserved shuteye.

Sleeping peacefully, the six of them were sound asleep for about four hours. They were all roused from their sleep though when a soft humming noise caught their attention. It didn't sound like the alarm spell that Haru created, it sounded more like a hungry Fiend was nearby them, ready to pounce.

Seiki was the first to get up from sleep. The teen rolled off the ground, taking out his Machina rings just as Mizuki was bouncing up with sword in hand. The others were beginning to stir as well as the humming noise got louder by the minute.

Haru was preparing to cast a protective ward over them when a sharp, ringing noise went off. "My spell!" shouted the teen. "The Empire is near!"

Before anyone could do anything else, the ground began to burst beneath them. Crystal dust was blown everywhere as the Gullwings were forced to retreat further away from the clear lake nearby their campsite.

Korra swung her lance around as she put herself to the ground of the group. She could hear the noise clearer than they could, but Alia got the picture too. The young Guado raised her katana up, while the others began to arm themselves too as Korra warned them that she could hear a Machina.

Blowing all of the dust away, the scorpion-like Machina from the Calm Lands was standing before them. The Machina's gears were roaring at full fury as it had its sensors set to eliminate the Gullwings.

Laughter also was heard nearby as someone climbed on top of the Machina. Raising a sword and axe at the Gullwings, Lancelot showed himself to them. The Empire's general leapt from the Machina and began to approach the group of Spirans.

"Well, I've finally found you meddlesome, children!" boasted Lancelot. "Now, I can eliminate you all in the name of Avalon! You shall not get in the way of our beautiful Queen Igraine!"

"To Farplane with your queen!" shouted Mizuki as she broke away from the others.

Mizuki charged towards Lancelot, swinging her sword at him. She tried to plunge her weapon into the chest of the general only to have her attack blocked, effortlessly, by his axe.

Seeing the daughter of the High Summoner before him, Lancelot knew that this was his opportunity to eliminate one of the threats. He prepared to swing his sword at her only to be stopped by another player. The general turned his head to the side to see Alia holding him back with her arm as she had her katana stuck to the ground.

"You will not hold me forever!" shouted Lancelot.

Breaking free from them both, Lancelot was able to get some distance from them. That didn't stop Mizuki and Alia though as they charged after him. The two of them felt themselves capable of handling the general just as the man commanded the Machina to attack the others.

Haru had to gulp when he saw the Machina coming after them. He held onto his mage-gun, feeling that some of his mana returned to him but not enough to really be of help.

Korra and Vidina ran interference though as they went after the Machina. Seiki remained behind with his cousin though since the Al Bhed was trying to come up with a mechanical solution to shut down the Machina.

Leaping up to the Machina, Korra tried to gain some advantage over the machine. She tried to gather a surge of electrical energy to overload the Machina's systems as she had done last time at the Calm Lands. However, when Korra got closer to the Machina, a wall of resistance had been built up to prevent her from doing just that.

An electrical barrier came up around the Machina to repel the Ronso's approach. Korra was successfully blown back by the Machina with her muscles pulsing from the electrical impulses.

Vidina ran over towards the Ronso after witnessing her getting so easily struck down. He could instantly tell that the Machina got an upgrade since they last went up against it. Seiki warned them that the Empire might try a trick like this, which meant they were going to have to fight differently.

"If you can stand up to brute strength," said Vidina, "then let's see how you respond to magic!"

Channeling every bit of power into his body that he could, Vidina had to conjure up a spell with enough power to demolish the Machina's barrier. At the very least, he needed to put a large enough dent into it so that Korra could get in to do the rest.

Between them, if Vidina and Korra could slow the Machina down then Seiki would be able to get in close to do his thing. Seiki just needed that distraction for him to safely hack into the Machina's systems to shut it down.

Vidina could tell that the others were counting on him for this, which is why he couldn't afford to let them down.

Allowing the magic to ripple throughout his body, Vidina concentrated on blasting the Machina with all that he could. The Machina had its sensors locked onto the teen as it prepared an attack of its own. The tail began to open up, revealing a Machina cannon that it planned to use to eliminate the Black Mage.

Since Vidina was too busy working his spell to defend himself, it was a sure sign that he would blasted.

Grabbing his mage-gun, Haru jumped into action as a desire to protect his best friend quickly overwhelmed him. He gathered all of the mana that he could as quickly as possible to funnel it through the mage-gun. "You won't hurt him!" shouted Haru. The presence of the teen was able to turn the Machina's attention away to its primary target. The cannon were pointed at Haru now with the teen pointing his mage-gun at the Machina.

This is what exactly what Haru wanted to happen as he bought Vidina a few seconds.

The Machina was still preparing to strike, but Vidina had the power that he needed. The Black Mage clapped his hands together, allowing the collected mana to flow through the bracelet that Seiki created for him. An immense surge of magic erupted at that point as Vidina collapsed to the ground, calling down the most powerful thunderstorm that he possibly could.

Dark clouds gathered over the Machina, but it was contained around the Machina. Before the cannon were fired, a series of thunderbolts came down from the clouds to strike the Machina all at once.

Their group was able to see the Machina's barrier fighting to repel Vidina's spell. They were becoming fearful that the Machina might prove to be successful when Seiki noticed obvious cracks in its shield taking form. The light that the Machina produced for its shield began to darken until it finally just shattered in plain sight.

From there, Haru pulled the trigger on his mage-gun to release his mana against the Machina. The blast of explosive light rushed towards the Machina, blasting it in the tail to server the flow of energy to its cannon. The Machina scorpion's cannon were disable, but it still had a host of other weapons it could use to fight the Gullwings with.

Korra wasn't about to allow that to happen as she went for a third try. She climbed a nearby tree to get her some advantage before springing from it to get as close to the Machina as she possibly could. The Ronso gave out a deafening roar as she gathered her strength to release another blast of electrifying energy.

The burst of energy that Korra unleashed wasn't quite as strong as her last attempt at the Calm Lands. However, she was confident enough in her strength that she could do enough damage so that Seiki could do what was needed. Plus, between the damage that Vidina and Haru inflicted beforehand, then they stood a good chance.

Sparks started to ignite once more from the Machina's body.

Their group stumbled back just as the Machina scorpion started to jerk around. There was enough damage done to it that Seiki could tell that this was his chance.

Running faster than he thought possible, the Al Bhed got close to the Machina. He avoided the Machina's saw arms, saving himself from being diced into pieces. He then got underneath its robotic belly as he plucked out a set of tools form his bag that would be of use to him. He first used his steel ring to cut through the mechanical underbelly before digging his way into some of the parts.

Seiki was sweating from the immense amount of heat that the Machina's insides produced. He knew that he couldn't stand doing this for long so he made it work as best as he could.

Implanting a small capsule inside, Seiki thought that they stood a chance now. He rolled out from underneath the Machina as he pulled down on a trigger on a bracelet that he had on. The capsule that he had implanted would further short out the Machina's circuitry, but it wouldn't be enough to put it out of operation just yet.

Meanwhile, Mizuki and Alia continued to have their duel against Lancelot. The two swordswomen were holding their own against the general, but it was truly remarkable how skilled of a fighter that he was. He easily fended off the women's attacks with his duel-weapons that he used flawlessly.

Holding his sword up to keep Alia and her katana back before swinging his hand axe back to knock back Mizuki and her sword was just one example of how well he fought.

Lancelot brushed both women back as he carried his armored self away. He dragged his feet against the hard ground before stabbing the ground with his sword. "You, ladies, fight well," complimented the general. "However, you are both out of your league! Bow down before the might of Avalon!"

"Eternal Recurrence!"

Climbing to the top of his handle, the well-built man easily balanced himself on it before leaping into the air. He flipped back, plucking the sword out from the ground to unleash a slash of energy from his sword. Swinging his axe next, he released a second band of energy that combined with his first attack to create a crimson tide of energy that was headed straight for Mizuki.

The attack would easily bring death to the teen if it came into contact with her.

However, Alia interfered with the incoming attack as she put herself in front of Mizuki. Dropping her katana to the ground, Alia chanted a few words under her breath until a storm of Pyreflies gathered around her. She called upon the Pyreflies, gathering energy from them to be of assistance to her.

Seeing this, Mizuki immediately thought of Alia as an Unsent for being able to wield Pyreflies since no living being was capable of such a talent. Even though she knew that Alia was attempting to save her, Mizuki just felt unsure of what to make of the Guado now.

More Pyreflies started to gather around Alia as Lancelot's attack drew closer. Alia wasn't concerned though as she had the power that she needed now to unleash her attack. "Requiem!" shouted Alia. Swinging her hand forward, the Guado unleashed her power. The Pyreflies transformed into blades of white energy that gathered all around Lancelot's approaching attack before erupting into a series of devastating explosions.

The resulting explosions did nothing to Alia or Mizuki, but Lancelot did feel the hurt. Alia's attack pushed Avalon's top general back towards the Machina that he brought with him.

Just as Lancelot landed near his Machina, Seiki was preparing to finish off the machine. He was climbing on top of it now as the Machina was still struggling to repair its systems.

The Al Bhed found a latch that he was able to open to expose more delicate wiring. Reaching into his bag, Seiki retrieved his last grenade. It was a special prototype that he had been working on for the past year, but he needed to sacrifice it for today. At least he would find out it if worked or not.

Pushing the grenade into the tangled wires, Seiki set it to blow. The teen quickly jumped from the Machina before it had the chance to blow. "Run now!" shouted Seiki. "We have to get out of here fast! And cover your ears!"

Lancelot growled as the Gullwings tried to run from him as he tried to get back up to his feet.

The Gullwings all began to back away as the Machina tried to follow after them. Its lone eye kept a lock on the Gullwings as it tried to activate its missile system. The missiles were the last weapon it had left to fight them with as it followed Lancelot's command to destroy them.

As the latches opened up to reveal missiles, the Machina was seconds away from having them fully locked on. However, an arrow flew down from the treetops, striking the Machina's mechanical eye. The arrow's impact triggered an electrical surge that completely destroyed its targeting system. The missiles were useless to it now with the grenade's countdown also being complete.

The Machina took one last step before an explosion went off along its back. That single explosion severally damaged dozens of its processors, but it only got worse from there. The grenade also ignited dozens of other explosions from its firepower, but then there were just the explosions that were triggered by the Machina's systems being destroyed.

The Machina's body began to crumble apart from all of the explosions until it simply was no more. The entire frame of the Machina was destroyed with its parts scattering throughout the woods.

Witnessing the destruction of the Machina and Lancelot's possible death, the Gullwings were a little relieved to see the fight was over. There were still more soldiers wandering the woods though and the possibility of more fights against the Empire loomed over their heads. However, the Gullwings took the small victory and ran with it.

Haru and Mizuki gathered their team as they resumed their journey to the Thunder Plains.

* * *

Arriving near the Machina wreckage, Arthur and Morgana were astonished to see the damage that had been done. Never did they believe that the Gullwings actually stood a chance against Lancelot's Machina, but they proved to be victorious in the end. It really proved to show that these races of people that they viewed as "primitive" were remarkably able to overcome forces from an empire as powerful as theirs.

Morgana tried not to "praise" the Gullwings for proving her wrong as began to twirl a lock of her hair with her fingers. She kicked a broken piece of the Machina, not noticing that a broken arrow was amongst the rubble.

There was coughing by the larger amount of wreckage, which caused the siblings to turn their attention towards it. They approached the broken Machina until they spotted a figure pushing its way from a metal plate on the ground.

Dust from the crystalized ground had been kicked up in the process to reveal an injured Lancelot. The general had a few scratches on his face and his armored appeared damaged, but he didn't appear to be that badly beaten. There were probably minor injuries underneath the armor that just wasn't visible to them.

Arthur knelt down next to Lancelot, keeping the general from making any unnecessary movements that would aggravate his injuries. Even though the general had tried to kill the boy that he loved, Arthur couldn't help but to feel some sympathy for his fellow Avalonion.

"Damn those Gullwings," growled Lancelot as he flinched from Arthur's touch. The prince had accidently brushed against the general's side, revealing injuries to his ribs. Lancelot slid back until his spine was against the destroyed Machina. "How could they have stopped my plan? It was flawless."

Hovering over the two men, Morgana showed no signs of sympathy for the general. In fact, she simply shook her head in disgust as she channeled healing magics through her body. "You underestimated them, general," said Morgana. "It's as simple as that." Morgana held no words back much like their mother would if she had been present. The princess waved her hand forward to release a healing surge of magic towards the general.

Lancelot hissed as the magics numbed the pain, but also began the difficult process of healing his injuries. "I won't make that mistake twice," said Lancelot, "however, I cannot fight in my state. I must return to Avalon for proper healing." Slowly rising to his feet, Lancelot knew that he couldn't push himself too hard. Even his body had its limitations.

This forced Lancelot's hand, making him relinquish control of the operation to the next in command. Lancelot turned his head towards Arthur since it was the prince's responsibility to do just that. "You will have to lead our forces, Prince Arthur," said Lancelot as he held his stomach. "It is up to you to eliminate the High Summoner's children and the rest of the Gullwings."

Morgana raised an eyebrow at her brother, while Lancelot abandoned the siblings. The general needed to retreat to his ship with help from some of the troops that hadn't followed the Gullwings to the Thunder Plains.

Frozen from Lancelot's command, Arthur had no idea what he was to do now. The prince had no desire at all to go after the Gullwings, but he couldn't openly defy orders from someone as high-ranking as Lancelot. The general would surely report back to the Queen about this, which would seal Arthur's doom.

Lancelot was gone now though, taking a quarter of the troops with him.

Approaching her brother, Morgana had released her lock of hair as she kept her eyes on him. She was trying to read him but found his rather stoic appearance difficult to analyze properly. "Quite the conundrum you have yourself in, brother," said Morgana. "Whatever will you do? Do you plan on defying our mother's orders or will you kill the boy that's captured your heart?"

"I do not know, sister," said Arthur, disgusted with himself for this. He couldn't believe that a prince of such valor as he would even consider killing those he called his friends. But it was also because he was the prince that he needed to do so.

"Well then," said Morgana as she turned away from him, "you'll have to decide fast."

Listening to her walk away, Arthur turned his gaze to the destroyed Machina and the glistening, crystal lake nearby. He breathed heavily, feeling a trembling pain in his heart that would leave him crippled if he allowed it to. And it was so tempting to allow that to happen as the prince wanted to simply cease to be.

However, Arthur had no choice in the matter. The prince clenched his heart, praying for forgiveness as he joined his sister and their soldiers. Morgana's gaze returned to him as she held onto her staff, while the soldiers waited for his orders.

"We march to the Thunder Plains!" shouted Prince Arthur. "Prepare for battle, men!"

The soldiers roared as they were ready to march. They were prepared to follow the commands of their prince as they started to march off.

* * *

Leaping from the trees, two figures arrived as the Empire followed the Gullwings to the Thunder Plains. The Empire was doing everything in its power to catch the Gullwings before they escaped to freedom, even if Arthur was a more reluctant leader compared to Lancelot or Morgana. That was the one thing that would be in the Gullwings' advantage.

What also helped them was the fact that they had two, guardian angels watching over them.

The both of them were covered in thick cloaks, keeping themselves covered since they didn't trust that the Empire was gone. The only thing visible about the two was that one held a bow in hand with a quiver of arrows strapped to their back, while the other had a weapon that bore a resemblance to a gun as well as a blade. The duo shifted their weapons around as they scouted the immediate area, while keeping their hoods up as they became satisfied that the area was secured.

Pulling an arrow from the quiver, the archer of the group examined the arrow to see that it was damaged. The archer had plucked it from the Machina that Lancelot had sent after the Gullwings, which had been put down by the combined efforts of the arrow and Seiki's device. "For a primitive, that Al Bhed boy is highly skilled with Machina," said the calm voice of a woman from the hood. "He almost didn't need my arrow to help him."

Nodding its head, the warrior of the group strapped its Gunblade behind its back. "They'll still need our help though," said the deep voice of a man. "The Empire won't stop until it has their heads. The Queen's words are law."

"Which is why we must continue to help them," said the archer. "The Rebellion needs the Gullwings to survive these coming battles to stop the Queen's rule."

There was no argument there. The importance of the Gullwings to their plight was clear to them both as they had to follow them to the Thunder Plains as well.

The warrior and the archer turned to the crystal woods, feeling uneasy about what was going to happen next. They just knew that they had to protect the Gullwings for as long as possible until things changed.

"Do you think that they'll be able to find the Sleeping Gods?" asked the warrior.

"If they do," said the archer, "then they'll stand a chance against the dark powers of the Queen of Avalon."

Without wasting another minute, the duo started to make their way to the Thunder Plains, running as quickly as they could. The Empire already had a head start so they needed to desperately make up for lost time in case the Gullwings needed their rescue.


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: AH! I don't even want to spoil anything for you so just read and review! **

**Summoner's Call**:

Lightning flashed across the sky with the Gullwings stopping their escape as they entered the Thunder Plains. Being back in the plains brought back memories of uncovering the first of Lady Yunalesca's spheres, reminding them of how this journey began. And now, they were trying to flee as quickly as possible from the soldiers that were chasing after them.

Vidina took a few steps forward before throwing his arms back, letting out a deep sigh. "Oh man," said Vidina. "I'm completely exhausted. When are we gonna be done running away from the Empire?"

They were all tired since their sleep had been interrupted by Lancelot's attack on them. The fight drained them of their energies, particular for Vidina and Haru since they relied heavily on Mana to fight. They would need time to replenish their energies so that they could be ready in case another battle was to occur.

Looking around the stormy plains, Alia knew of what they could do since they were way ahead of the Empire. There was somewhere safe for them to stay out in the plains. "We should head for Thunder Plains branch of Rin's Travel Agency," said Alia. "We could rest there for the rest of the night and get something to eat as well. We'll also be closer to Guadosalam."

"A good night's rest would do us all wonders," said Mizuki. "I'm so tired now that I don't think I would be able to swing my sword right."

Well aware that Mizuki was right about that, the group started to head south towards Guadosalam.

Within a few miles, they would be at the travel agency that was run by an Al Bhed proprietor that was close to their family. Master Rin had helped Haru and Mizuki's parents during their Pilgrimage by providing a safe place to rest. Rin's agencies would also be the only place in Spira where they would be allowed to stay after the Temples declared Yuna and her Guardians to be enemies of the teachings.

It would be a long walk, but one that would be worth it since they would finally get some comfortable beds to sleep on and warm meals in their bellies.

* * *

After three hours of travelling down the Thunder Plains, the Gullwings finally arrived to the travel agency. They were all able to breathe a sigh of relief as they found that the place wasn't surrounded by the Empire's soldiers.

Before leaving the Macalania Woods, Seiki had created a false trail for the Pendragon Empire to follow so that their travels would be a little safer. It was also around that time that he sent a transmission out to Paine so that she would be aware of what was going on. He wasn't worried about the Empire finding out about this transmission since the Gullwings had established a secret code to communicate in for situations like these.

The travel agency was no different from all the others that were scattered across Spira. The agency's facilities held a shop at the front of the building where travelers could stock up on their necessary supplies. Behind the front desk were the rooms that could be rented for the night. There was also a longue and a dining facility there that was open to any of the patrons.

Feeling their stomachs run on fumes, the Gullwings needed to get some fuel. They started to make their way to the dining hall when Mizuki turned to the front desk to rent two rooms for the remainder of the night.

They were allowed some peace for the night since they know that the Empire wouldn't be foolish enough to travel through the Thunder Plains at night. It was hard enough for the Gullwings to make it through to the agency since the storms were also worse at night. Knowing that the Empire probably wouldn't resume their chase until morning, the Gullwings were able to allow themselves the privilege to relax.

As they made their way into the dining hall, their group smelt the alluring scent of a good meal. They quickly grabbed some food and made their way towards a table when they heard a group of talking nearby.

It was only a group of pilgrims at the table, so the sphere-hunters weren't concerned. They would've ignored the pilgrims if they hadn't said something that caught their attention.

The pilgrims discussed the existence of a Chocobo unlike any other. A special Chocobo roamed the Thunder Plains and was rumored to be the only one of its kind. The Chocobo in question was said to be a Chocobo with feathers as white as freshly, fallen snow.

This seemed impossible since all Chocobos had yellow feathers. The Gullwings thought this to be a mere urban legend. Their impression of this only grew stronger when they heard from the pilgrims that the Chocobo, dubbed the Son of Ixion, would only appear to those pure of heart.

Mizuki rolled her eyes at the legend of a Chocobo named after the Aeon whose Fayth resided at Djose Temple. She saw this merely as Yevonites clinging to what was left of their precious old ways.

Haru, on the other hand, had his curiosity peeked by this. He couldn't explain why he was fascinated by the Son of Ixion as he had no particular fondness for fables. However, there was something in his head to keep his eyes opened while they were on the plains for this legendary Chocobo.

Finishing their meals, the Gullwings retired to their rooms for the night. The boys piled into one room while the girls took up another. They quickly went to bed, taking advantage of every minute of rest that they could before the Empire tried to attack them once more.

All they needed to do now was make it to Guadosalam. If they left by morning then they would be there by the afternoon, which was a solid goal for the group.

Closing their eyes, everyone fell into a deep sleep as their tired bodies and minds were finally allowed the rest that they desperately deserved.

* * *

Smoke arose from the wreckage after a failed escape attempt. Paine had spent half of yesterday sailing through the skies, trying to out run the Machina that had been sent after her from the Calm Lands. The Celsius would lose the Machina, but every time that Paine tried to double back to where her crew was located, the Machina would return to start trying to gun her down from the sky.

The last time that Paine tried to follow her crew was when she received word that they were in the Thunder Plains. That rescue attempt turned into a failure as the aerial Machina found her and succeeded in shooting the Celsius down from the sky. The airship crashed in the Thunder Plains, not too far from the tunnel that led to Guadosalam.

It probably would've been easier for Paine to flee to the Guado city if the Machina hadn't stuck around. Paine was able to view the mechanical construct from the monitor to see that the Machina had a dragon-like design with half a dozen missiles strapped to its wings. The Machina shouldn't have been that intimidating, but considering how powerful the Machina was that attacked her crew at Djose, Paine wasn't about to take any risks.

Dusting off her old friend, Paine retrieved a special item before making her way towards the deck of the airship.

Leaving the safety of the airship, Paine eventually found herself facing the dragon Machina. The aerial machine flew circles around Paine with her noting that it wasn't even half the size of the airship yet it was powerful enough to shoot it down.

"You're about to learn why they call me Paine," said the leader of the Gullwings.

Holding up a small tablet, Paine revealed her Garment Grid to the Machina. She activated the device that had been created by Shinra to aid the original Gullwings in combat. The Garment Grid activated with the Dressphere set to it activated as her clothes began to shift.

A series of ring erupted around Paine as she gained a small, rifle in her hand. Her dark, leather clothes were replaced by a violet vest with checkered pants and half a skirt. "Let the magic mayhem begin!" said Paine as she had transformed into a Gun Mage. Raising her rifle up, she brought an orb of magical energy towards her to fend off the Machina.

The Machina dragon came flying towards her with Paine pulling down on the trigger. The burst of magical energy collided against the Machina, unleashing a devastating amount of damage to the Machina. The attack was specialized to damage Machina so Paine was hoping that the blast would be powerful enough to send the Machina on a retreat.

Luckily, for her, the wish was granted.

The Machina started to fly away as it needed repairs thanks to Paine's attack. Blowing out the smoke from the rifle, Paine already began to shift back into her normal appearance as she was satisfied with what she accomplished.

With the Machina out of the way now, Paine abandoned the damaged airship to begin the hunt for her crew.

* * *

Morning came early for the Gullwings as they felt like they barely got any sleep. In truth, they had gotten about six hours of sleep which was enough to replenish their energy so that they would be able to handle a fight against the Empire's forces should one occur. They rubbed the sleep out of their eyes and picked up some fruit for their breakfast. They didn't want to eat anything heavy for fear of weighing them down if the Empire did find them.

Mizuki took off to the shop with Korra to stock up on some supplies that they might need to make it to Guadosalam. They mainly purchased Potions and Remedies for healing purposes should the need arise.

Waiting towards the exit, Seiki was the one that was ready to go. He waited patiently for the rest of the crew to show up before checking to see if they were ready to resume their journey to Guadosalam.

"Let's go!" ordered Mizuki.

Following their field commander's lead, the Gullwings left the travel agency and went back out into the Thunder Plains.

The plains were mostly quiet for a change, which was good and bad. The lack of travelers meant that more could go wrong; however, the eternal storm out in the plains wasn't as severe as it normally was. This brought mixed reactions amongst the group as they decided to keep on going or else they would for sure run into trouble.

Korra took point since her sharper senses would allow her to pick up more. Her hearing had saved the group numerous times from an ambush so they would use her skills again with hopes of saving their skin.

Walking out into the plains, the Gullwings knew that they were vulnerable to an attack. The Thunder Plains were too open with far too little natural barriers to hide behind. It was a big risk for them to take, but there was no other path to Guadosalam that would ensure the maximum amount of safety.

Seiki kept his radar on to be prepared in case any unusual Machina were in the area. He kept his eyes peeled too since he didn't want to risk them being caught off guard again.

"This really is nerve wrecking," whispered Vidina as he adjusted his bracelets. "What are we gonna do if we're attacked?"

"Fight," Mizuki said, bluntly. "We can't allow the Empire to get the best of us."

Before anyone could agree with Mizuki's statement though, Seiki's alarm began to go off. Korra brandished the spear that was strapped to her back as she notified everyone that she smelt foreign scents in the area. Seiki confirmed this as he was getting unusual Machina readings that vastly differed from the Machina lightning rods.

It took only seconds for a swarm of soldiers to appear from one of the few hilltops on the plains. The Gullwings armed themselves as over three dozen soldiers started to come out in the open. This didn't look good at all for them as the Sphere-Hunters saw how easily outnumbered that they were.

However, that didn't stop them from trying to fight.

Seiki grabbed a small grenade from his back that he tossed at the soldiers. The immediate explosion that followed managed to stall a few soldiers, but not nearly as would've been preferred.

Slashing a wave of crimson energy from her sword, Mizuki tried to keep more soldiers at bay. Her attack proved to be about as effective as Seiki's grenade though. The Pendragon soldiers were ready this time around though as they were able to generate shields from their dark armor.

Vidina started to cast a few Blizzard spells to freeze soldiers in their place. His magic was a little more effective at phasing through their barriers, but it still wasn't enough. His magic needed to be even stronger to really do what the Black Mage hoped for.

Seeing that a fight against the soldiers wouldn't do them much good, Haru knew that he had to come up with a solution to get them to higher grounded. They needed a better strategy to fight the soldiers with so that they could safely make it to Guadosalam. Haru looked around the plains, hoping to find anything that could possibly help them escape.

That was when something white caught Haru's attention. In the dark plains, any bit of color stood out, which probably helped the soldiers to find the Sphere-Hunters since their outfits were fairly colorful. However, that wasn't the point. What Haru focused in on was something that especially bright, a pure white in fact that caused him to briefly skip a breath.

After a second to recompose himself, Haru could see it clearer now. Standing only a few yards away from them was a White Chocobo, the Son of Ixion. The Chocobo appeared to be staring directly at Haru in a way that could pierce a human soul.

Haru was speechless for a moment until he saw the Chocobo back away. The Son of Ixion disappeared behind another hilltop and was gone from sight. But even though he was unable to see the Chocobo, Haru could hear it calling out to him, making it clear that the Chocobo wanted to be followed.

"Over here!" shouted Haru.

Seiki had just tossed a flash grenade, which emitted a bright light to temporarily blind the soldiers. The Al Bhed turned his attention to his cousin now as well did the rest of the Gullwings as they saw him running in the direction of the White Chocobo. While none of them saw the bird, they assumed that Haru knew of someway for the m to escape from this ambush.

So they followed Haru as the boy continued to hear the cawing of the Son of Ixion. The boy ran towards a small, underground cave. It was there that Son of Ixion had disappeared into, leading Haru to realize that they needed to get in the cave. He led the crew in there before blasting a rocky barrier to keep the soldiers from following them in.

With the Gullwings inside the cave, the soldiers were left with no way in now that it was blocked off. The soldiers immediately turned back to their superior officers who had gone unnoticed by the Sphere-Hunters during the attack.

Arthur and Morgana appeared behind their troops as they decided that they would have to break through the rocky barrier to follow them in. Morgana immediately ordered the soldiers to work, leading them to begin shooting at the rocks with their guns. With any luck, they would be able to get through the rubble within minutes so that they could easily execute the Gullwings.

A heavy sigh escaped from Arthur's throat as he feared this to be the end of the line for the Gullwings. He didn't see how they could survive this next encounter since they were completely backed into a corner.

* * *

Without any way out, the Gullwings knew that they were in trouble.

Vidina illuminated the tunnel by casting a few Fire spells around them. The fiery orbs revealed a deep network of tunnels that branched off to various paths. The Black Mage realized that there was no way for them to navigate their way through since this particular rock was famous for blocking Machina signals.

This dawned on Seiki soon enough too as he saw his radar was worthless. He sighed with resignation as he turned towards his starry-eyed cousin. "What's the plan now, Haru?" said the Al Bhed. "You led us into the tunnel so do you know a way out for us?"

"No," confessed Haru. "The only reason I brought y'all here was because the Son of Ixion wanted us to follow him."

Choking back on her saliva, Mizuki's eyes began to bug out of her head. She stormed herself towards her brother as it took every urge in her body to contain her desire to strangle him. "You led us to a possible dead-end to follow a stupid legend!" said Mizuki. "Little brother, do you have any idea how stupid that is? What if we get lost in this blasted maze?"

"We won't!" argued Haru.

"Because the Son of Ixion will led us to an exit?" countered Alia who was doubting the urban legend that they heard from the travel agency. While she didn't doubt the purity of Haru's heart, she doubted what he believed that he saw.

Korra, Seiki, and Vidina only remained silent since there was no point in ganging up on him. The others had already said what they were thinking.

Closing his eyes, Haru tried to defend his judgment. While probably not the smartest thing to do while they were being chased, Haru was positive in what he saw. He was sure that he had seen the White Chocobo and they needed to follow it into this cave for some reason.

When the group was about to lash out at Haru again though, a squawking noise caught Haru's attention away from the others. He ran towards the crossroads at the center of cave to figure out where the noise was coming from. Mizuki was about to question her brother again when Haru finally could heard clearly what direction the noise was coming from.

Haru started to run east of the tunnel with the rest of the group following him since there was no point in sticking around. They wanted to know if Haru was legitimately going crazy or if he really was seeing something that the rest of them could not.

Running deeper in the tunnels, Haru led them in all sorts of crazy directions. It really was a maze trying to navigate through the tunnels and it did take a long time before Haru was finally able to catch sight of an end to this Chocobo chase.

A lone, white feather littered the ground with Haru bending over to pick it up. By that point, the rest of the Gullwings could see the feather in Haru's hands and realized that he was in fact telling the truth. Haru kept the feather with him as he took off running against down the tunnel when he heard the White Chocobo's voice growing louder.

After running for a few more minutes, eventually, the Gullwings made it to a dead end. Haru could no longer hear the voice of the Son of Ixion and there still was no exit out of the tunnels. There was no sign of anything as the Gullwings were left to believe that this was the end of the road for them.

"Either the Empire finds us first," said Vidina, in a gloomy tone, "or we simply starve here."

Seiki agreed with Vidina's comment as he dropped to the ground.

Haru, disappointed at himself, dropped the Chocobo feather to the ground. He couldn't believe that he led his friends here for nothing. They were all going to die here because he heard a strange animal calling out to him. He thought of himself as stupid now as he realized that they were for sure going to die here in the cold, dark tunnel.

However, fate thought differently for the Gullwings.

A series of Pyreflies gathered around them until everyone could see the White Chocobo with their own eyes. The Gullwings immediately jumped to their feet, astonished to see a legend standing before them as the Son of Ixion gave out an excited noise.

The Son of Ixion though began to disperse in a series of Pyreflies once more though. These Pyreflies faded into the wall where they began dissolve the rocky wall to reveal something that none of them had come across before.

Practically attached to the wall was a massive tablet that covered up half of the wall. The tablet contained some elaborate artwork of a horse-like creature with a double-sided lance emerging from its back. Gazing upon the tablet, the Gullwings were amazed by what they had discovered but still didn't realize how this was the key to their salvation.

It wasn't until Haru approached the tablet did they feel something was about to happen. The tablet started to grow with Pyreflies gathering in front of them with the White Chocobo appearing once more.

"The Son of Ixion!" said Haru.

The White Chocobo gave out a faint cry before its appearance started to change. The legendary animal faded away until all that remained standing was the spirit of a man. The man wore dark, blue armor with a helmet shaped like a dragon's head. And in his hand was a mighty lance that he had once wielded in combat. "No," said a deep voice. "I am Odin, God of Thunder. Lord of Wisdom and Battle."

"An Aeon God!" shouted an astonished Alia.

All of the Gullwings were astonished as before them stood the spirit of an Aeon God. It was then that they realized that the tablet was no tablet but a Fayth. This was the Fayth tablet of the Aeon God, Odin. One of the gods that had been sealed away a thousand years ago by Lady Yunalesca and Lord Zaon.

They all immediately dropped to one knee to pay reverence to a being so powerful.

A smile peeked through Odin's helmet as the god extended a hand out to the Gullwings. "Do not kneel, my friends," said the Aeon God. "It is I who owes you a debt of gratitude for it is you who broke my seal! I am now free once more to roam freely."

"However," said Odin, "I understand that you are in grave danger. I have been watching over you, Gullwings, since you uncovered the sphere in my domain. I just knew that you would be the ones who would find my Fayth."

"How did you know?" asked Seiki.

"Because I am aware of the danger that is to befall Spira," said Odin. "I didn't know how long it would take though so I projected an image of myself as the White Chocobo so that you would come find me."

Haru smiled as he rose to his feet and approached the Fayth. He stared the god in the eye, feeling the infinite power behind the entity bound to stone. "So the Son of Ixion was just a means to help ensure your freedom, Lord Odin?" said Haru.

"Yes, Sir Haru," said Odin, "but I am not without gratitude. I am aware of the danger that you are in and willing to provide my aid in exchange for you helping me to free the rest of my siblings."

"You'll help us fight the Empire so long as we help you free the other gods?" repeated Mizuki.

Odin nodded his head as he ignored the others but focused his sights on Haru. The god extended his spear towards the young man. "For me to aid you, a pact must be forged," said Odin. "I can only lend my power to one who is worthy of being a Summoner for a god. That is why I had you brought to me, Sir Haru. Son of the High Summoner who vanquished Sin will you be my Summoner?"

"Me!" said Haru as he took a step back.

"Yes, Sir Haru," said Odin. "Your heart is pure and your will is strong. Only you hold the power to forge a pact with a god. Will you forge a pact with me to release my siblings and protect Spira from the threat of the Pendragon Empire?"

Haru began to tremble as he couldn't find the power to speak. He turned away from the god, looking back at his companions who were just as speechless as he was. None of them could vocalize an opinion, but Haru could see the look of fear in Mizuki's eyes. She wasn't offended that Odin didn't ask to forge a pact with her, she was simply terrified for what would happen to him for forging a pact with a good.

But they needed the help of a god to defeat the Empire. There was no other way.

Closing his eyes and swallowing his fears, Haru turned back to Odin. He extended his hand out to the god as he was prepared to forge a pact. "I, Haru, accept the pact," said Haru. "Lend me thy power, Lord Odin!"

"So let it be!" said the Aeon God.

Odin dispersed into a series of Pyreflies that entered Haru's body. The boy gasped in pain as lightning surged around his body as he became bound to a god. The Fayth before them reacted strongly as well to the established pact as it began to disperse into Pyreflies as well.

However, these Pyreflies began to reshape the tunnel to lead a clear path towards the entrance of the tunnel.

* * *

Raining continuous fire on the rubble, the Pendragon soldiers were close to breaking into the tunnels so that they could resume their chase. They would bring death upon the Gullwings in the name of their radiant queen. The soldiers were sure of this as Arthur and Morgana watched yards away the progress that was being made.

The assault continued until the soldiers finally broke their way through the rubble. Smoke arose from the destruction, forcing the soldiers to step back until it cleared up. However, when the smoke finally settled, it was the Empire's turn to be in for a surprise.

The Gullwings had emerged from the tunnel, ready for battle now. Haru stood at the front as he felt the pulsing powers of a god in his being now, which was ready to take on the threat before the newly dubbed Summoner.

"Now, it's your turn to run away," said Haru.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Haru began to invoke a higher power. A crystalized, red rose began to blossom around him as he started to Summon. "I call upon the Steed of Godly Thunder!" chanted Haru. "Keeper of Truth! Destroyer of Corruption! I summon thee, Odin!" Raising his arm into the air, the crystal shattered into Pyreflies.

Out emerged the figure of a warrior in front of Haru. The figure took solid form to reveal a warrior in crystalized, white armor with a white cape behind him. In his hand was a double-sided lance that he wielded for battle that was curved at its ends.

Odin stood before all, stunning the Pendragon soldiers in his presence.

Unleashing Odin upon them, Haru released the Aeon God for battle. Odin leapt towards the soldiers though, swinging his lance to release a surge of electricity that immediately overwhelmed their barriers. With that crumbling down, the god would've gotten to work on decimating them when he sensed another presence in the area.

Flying down from the sky was the Machina dragon that attacked the Celsius. The Machina had its sights set on Odin with the god feeling the same about it.

Leaping into combat, Odin went off to fight the Machina since that was what he considered to be the greater threat to his Summoner.

"We can handle the rest then!" shouted Mizuki as she charged towards the soldiers.

With sword in hand, Mizuki sliced through the armored soldier. Blood was drawn from the soldier's chest as Mizuki got to work on facing another.

Korra flew passed Haru as well as the Ronso went to pummel the soldiers. Her fist bashed the armored face of one before she kicked another in the chest. She dug her claws into the armored back of a soldier before doing severe damage to the soldier's spine.

Alia drove her katana through the chest of a soldier before pulling it out to work on another. She kept swinging her katana around in a bloody sport to cut as many of them down as possible.

Seiki threw his steel ring at the face of a soldier before grabbing hold of an enemy rifle. He bashed a helmeted soldier with it as he tried to take a second to figure out how this particular Machina worked. Surprising himself, Seiki started to open fire on a few soldiers and found that it easily went through their armor.

Vidina had the fun job as he blasted soldiers with magic. The Black Magic hurled fireballs from his hands, burning any soldier that dared to get too close to him. He then started to weave a set of Blizzard spells to freeze the soldiers in place to get them back for earlier.

Haru started to run passed all of the soldiers to rejoin Odin in the battle against the Machina. The teen was about to escape from it all when a soldier caught him by surprise. The soldier nearly shot him in the chest only for a sword to cut against the soldier's back, ending his pitiful life.

As the soldier dropped to the ground, Haru gasped when he saw who had saved his skin.

Rising to her feet, Paine ran a hand through her hair as a smile took form on her face. "Didn't I tell you to be more careful, Haru?" said Paine. "I urge caution and you have to go and become a Summoner for a god!"

"You saw that?" chuckled Haru as he drew his magical gun out.

"Of course," said Paine. "I'm not sure how to feel though about this. But we'll worry about that later. First, help me take down some soldiers!"

Paine swung her body around, turning her blade against an incoming soldier. Her sword went through the armor of another nameless soldier.

Haru agreed to help Paine as he turned his magical gun towards a soldier. He shot the soldier point-blank in the head before turning his attention on another. This soldier was charging straight towards him, causing Haru to fire multiple times before hitting him enough times to put the soldier out of commission.

Turning back around, Haru checked to see how Odin was fairing in his first battle in over a millennium.

Odin appeared to be toying with the Machina as he flew around the machine. The Aeon God blocked the Machina's missiles with his dark shield before swinging his lance at the Machina. The Machina flew away from the god's attack only to face a darker consequence. The lance unleashed a set of thunderbolts that zeroed in on the Machina.

The thunderbolts succeeded in striking their target just as Odin landed back on the ground. His attack meant the end for the Machina as it rained down on the ground with nothing but scrap parts littering the ground. Odin swung his lance back as Haru approached the Aeon God, applauding the god for the battle.

However, before Odin could thank his Summoner, the god felt an attack coming. Odin immediately went on the defensive as he conjured a white shield around them both to protect them as blue electricity began to rain down on their heads.

An orb made of pure thunder began to float towards the god. A pair of red eyes opened from the orb with Odin sensing something particular about this creature. It had the presence of Machina in it, yet there were also Pyreflies surrounding it to give it a true form.

"That is no Fiend!" said Haru as he sensed the creature too. "Is that an Aeon?"

"An Aeon unlike any I've seen before," said Odin. "You and I will need to fight as one to overcome this threat, Summoner Haru!"

Tossing his lance into the air, Odin prepared for this next round of battle. Odin's body began to shift around, almost mechanically, as he transformed into a white horse with dark armor on his body. Upon landing, Odin bid Haru to get on his back to join him in battle. Haru did as the god asked of him and got on his back just as the lance came down, breaking apart into two sets of swords.

Haru caught the swords and felt amazed by how light they were. He imagined the swords to weight so much more since Odin stood over eight feet tall.

Riding his godly steed into battle, Haru made eye contact with the peculiar Aeon. He could feel Odin's thoughts in his mind as he told the teen to invoke his power for the next attack.

The peculiar Aeon began to fire a wall of lightning against the Summoner and Aeon God. Odin, however, was able to conjure forth a shield to defend them as he charged into the air to get closer to this odd foe. From there, Haru was able to bring the swords together to form a lance once more as he called upon Odin's power.

"Zantetsuken!" shouted Haru.

With Odin's power bursting from him, Haru swung the mighty lance around. The double-sided lance unleashed a series thunderbolts that struck the odd foe hard. The orb of lightning was decimated by the blow as it proved to be nearly fatal for it.

The peculiar Aeon was forced into a retreat as it received orders from its Summoner.

Landing on the ground, Haru was let free as Odin shifted back into his warrior form. He retrieved his lance, swinging it backward with a series of rose petals erupting from him as the Summoner and Aeon God proved to be victorious in battle.

* * *

The Empire's forces were decimated now as they were forced to issue a full retreat. The remaining soldiers ran towards the Macalania Woods, while the fallen soldiers and destroyed Machina remained on the ground. After all of the fighting, this was a triumphant moment for the Gullwings now that they had a temporary reprieve from the invaders from Avalon.

The biggest hero of the moment though had to be Summoner Haru though.

Standing at the middle of the plains, Haru had his hands clasped over his heart. He could feel a strange sensation from the depths of his soul now, something he hadn't felt until after forging his pact with the Aeon God, Odin. The newly dubbed Summoner didn't have the chance to acknowledge these new feelings since the adrenaline rush for battle had overwhelmed all of his other senses.

Haru looked up to the stormy sky, still reeling from summoning for the first time. To feel the pulsing power of a god surging through him was truly a remarkable feeling that he had no idea how to compare to.

It was a situation with no other comparison!

Rushing over towards him, the rest of the Gullwings were still astonished by what Haru had done. Even as they fought against the soldiers, they had caught glimpses of Haru summoning Odin into battle to destroy the Empire's forces.

"That was incredible!" cheered Vidina.

"You rode a fucking horse into battle," said Seiki, "that can transform into a warrior god! That was so awesome!"

Similar sentiments were shared by the rest of the team since it was all just so much to take in. Even Haru was having a hard time processing it all and that's because he was the Summoner.

That was probably the hardest pill for Haru to swallow, the fact that he was a Summoner now like his mother. Even Mizuki felt a little uneasy with her brother following down their mother's path because she had no idea where that path would take him down.

The Empire was a powerful foe, but was it something on the scale of Sin that they needed to be concerned about.

Sensing Mizuki's feelings, Paine decided to do something about it. Their leader decided it was time for them to head to Guadosalam now in order to get help with repairing the airship. She also figured that they could find aid on figuring out more about the Aeon Gods since Haru had become the Summoner of one.

And if there were anyone on Spira who would have all the details on the gods then it would be Paine's old friend, Nooj.

* * *

With their forces decimated and even one of their Aeons defeated, Arthur and Morgana were astonished by the scenes that had unfolded here on the Thunder Plains. What should've been a relatively simple mission turned into a complete debacle now that Haru became a Summoner for an Aeon God.

It came as a mixed blessing for Arthur since he did want Haru and the Gullwings to be safe. Now, wielding the powers of an Aeon God, Arthur could see that it would be that much harder for the Empire to attack them. However, Arthur also understood that his mother, the queen, would try that much harder to eliminate them.

As for Morgana, her pride had been injured when her Aeon had been defeated by Odin. She was forced to dismiss Volt before it could suffer any severe damage that would be incurable.

Morgana could feel the static pain of her poor Aeon. She extended her hand up to the sky, seeing blue lightning flicker across her hand. "An Aeon God is even more powerful than we could've imagined," said Morgana. "Merlin and his scientists failed in preparing us for this. My Aeons won't be powerful enough to face them."

"I'm not sure if they knew any better," countered Arthur.

Unsure if that was true or not, Morgana didn't care at the moment. She merely cared for the fate of her Aeons should she have to enter another Summoner's Duel with Haru. "I will return to Avalon with the remainder of our forces," said his younger sister. "I will also make the report to mother about what happened here."

"What do you wish for me to do then, sister?" asked Arthur.

"You should stay behind and keep an eye on the Gullwings," said Morgana. "They still have no idea that we were the ones attacking them. They will trust you." Turning towards her brother, Morgana approached him, carefully. She placed her hands on his face as she looked him dead in the eye with her dark eyes. "Do not give yourself away, Arthur. Haru's feelings for you may be just as strong as yours for him, but I doubt that the rest of the Gullwings or the Aeon God will be as forgiving as Haru would. Protect yourself first above all else, brother."

Gently pulling her brother's head down, Morgana kissed him on the forehead. Her kiss sealed a minor, protection spell that would surely allow him the chance to flee to Avalon should things turn sourer. She repeated to him to be cautious around the Gullwings as she slowly walked away from him, calling on the remainder of the troops to follow her back to their airship at the Calm Lands.

As for Arthur, he took in a deep breath as he looked up to the stormy sky. Rain slowly descended from the heavens. The cool liquid falling down upon him as it ran down his body, washing away the sins that his family was asking him to commit.

Arthur would follow the Gullwings to Guadosalam, but he was uncertain of what he would do. If he saw Haru…would Arthur tell him the truth? Would he severe ties with his family? Or would he plunge his sword through the Summoner's heart as he was commanded to do?

Arthur still had no answers to his dilemma as it only grew worse and worse. What he did know that in the depths of his heart was that he did love Haru.

But was Arthur's love powerful enough to save them both?


	10. Chapter 9

**Avalon**:

Before them stood Guadosalam, the ancestral home of the Guado people and home to the gate to the Farplane. The small city in the woods was where the Gullwings would find sanctuary.

The Gullwings escaped the Empire's clutches thanks to Haru and the Aeon God, Odin. The battle at the Thunder Plains took a lot out of them, but they were glad now to finally be rid of their attackers. The damage that the Gullwings had done to the Empire's forces should leave a lasting impression on their queen.

Now, the Gullwings just needed to find out more about the Aeon Gods as well as discuss how they were to repair the Celsius.

Returning home, Alia took in a deep breath as she felt at ease here in Guadosalam. The small city had no sunlight due to the thick trees that created a natural dome over the area where the Guado hollowed out this colossal, domed wonder to build their homes and shops. It was also here that the Guado stood guard over the Farplane's gate, which had been here since long before the first Guado were even born.

Guadosalam truly was a nice community and it was good to see the Guado back in control. After Seymour Guado's failed attempt at becoming Sin and genocide of the Ronso people, the Guado became the most hated people in Spira. The Guado were forced to abandon their home and wander into the Macalania Woods for safety. Their city then fell into the hands of Sphere-Hunters who used it as their mecca with the infamous Leblanc, leader of the Leblanc Syndicate, used the manor of the Guado leaders as her home base.

With some help from High Summoner Yuna, the Guado eventually returned to their city. Tromell Guado became the new leader of his people and revitalized the Spira's faith in the Guado, which eventually led to his appointment as a member of the Council.

"I really do like Guadosalam," said Vidina. "It's so peaceful compared to Spira's other cities."

"The Guado do enjoy the quiet life," said Paine, "much like the people of Besaid."

Vidina started to hum, amused by Paine's comparison of his home island.

The rest of the Gullwings gathered together though with Korra being the one showing the most obvious signs of anxiety. The group needed to be careful with Korra since it was clear that the Ronso wasn't completely over her issues with the Guado.

Seiki took an analysis that Paine made of the airship to see the damage for himself. He didn't like how the report came out as he found it considerably troubling. "Oh man!" said Seiki. "The Empire really did do a number on the Celsius. I'm not qualified to make all of these repairs."

"Then who can we get to help us?" asked Mizuki.

"I'll have to request help from the Machine Faction," Seiki said, calmly. "Maybe my folks can send enough people to help with repairs."

"Which means we're gonna be without an airship for a while," sighed Paine. "I suppose we'll have to hoof it from here on."

"What if we're attacked by the Empire again though?" said Alia.

"No need to worry about that!" cheered Vidina. "We have Summoner Haru and Odin now to save our skin!"

Blushing, Haru found himself a little embarrassed by his friend's praise. The whole reason that they survived the battle at the Thunder Plains was because of Odin's power so that part was true. But still, Haru didn't like to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, which he knew he needed to accept upon receiving Odin's power.

"Don't forget," said Korra, "Haru made pact with god. Haru must awaken other Aeon Gods."

That was also true. The pact between Haru and Odin came with the condition that the Gullwings would break the seals over the rest of the gods. There were eight more gods to release, potentially eight gods to forge pacts with.

"This sounds a lot more then I bargained for," whispered Haru.

"Alright!" Paine shouted as she demanded the group's attention. "First things first, we have to get repairs on the airship underway. Seiki, call Gippal and Rikku to see what they can do to help. Once you're done, we're going to find Nooj. He'll surely have information on the gods that can help us find them or at the very least, understand what the hell we're dealing with. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" cheered the Gullwings.

With their orders, the Gullwings began to march off as they followed their leader.

* * *

Knowing where they were likely to find Nooj, Paine led her team towards the mansion at the center of Guadosalam. Near the entrance to the Farplane stood a mansion that was known as Chateau Leblanc, named after the leader of the Leblanc Syndicate. Prior to Leblanc seizing the manor, it was once the home of the Guado leaders, which included Seymour Guado.

Chateau Leblanc stood with the bright, red door greeting all travelers. The Gullwings approached this building only to notice that a pair of Guado men standing guard over the manor.

Mizuki stopped walking as she started to scratch her head, puzzled by seeing the Guado here. "I know that Leblanc left her syndicate," said Mizuki, "but shouldn't her Goon Squad be guarding the base? Am I missing something here?"

"I think we're all missing something," said Seiki.

Nodding her head, Alia decided to take control of the walk. She kindly turned the attention away from Paine since she knew why there were Guado guarding the manor. "After Leblanc left the Leblanc Syndicate, she returned the manor back to the Guados," said Alia. "Now, Lord Tromell resides in the manor, while the Leblanc Syndicate opened a new base of operations at the Moonflow."

"That's right, loves."

Hearing a familiar term of endearment, Paine had a feeling she knew who was joining them. The Gullwings looked back to see a woman descending down a road made from a tree branch.

The woman gracefully came towards them, dressing in a tight, violet dress that exposed part of her pale skin. Her blonde hair still cut short though even after fifteen years had passed since she was a Sphere-Hunter. The former leader of the Leblanc Syndicate, Leblanc herself, stood before the Gullwings with a smirk on her face.

Leblanc blew a kiss towards Paine for her old friend. "Well, well, what are the Gullwings doing in my neck of the woods?" asked Leblanc. "You wouldn't happen to be here to see little, old me, would ya?"

"Actually, we need to talk to Nooj," said Paine.

"I should've known," sighed Leblanc. "What trouble are you trying to drag my poor Noojie-Woojie now?"

"All we need is some information, Lady Leblanc," Haru said, politely.

Leblanc's depressing expression changed when she noticed Haru and Mizuki. She immediately began to smile at the two teens that she hadn't seen in ages. "Oh! If it isn't Yuna's babies," said Leblanc. The den mother returned as Leblanc was known for taking in various homeless and orphaned Spirans since the start of the Eternal Calm. The people in the Leblanc Syndicate were the very people that Leblanc sheltered and cared for, which explained their immense loyalty and respect for her. "Well, I suppose I can take you to Noojie. As long as you promise me that you won't bring him any trouble."

"We promise!" cheered Mizuki.

Deciding that their promise was good enough for her, Leblanc urged the Gullwings to follow her now. She would take them to her new home in Guadosalam so that they may speak with Nooj in private.

Leading the Gullwings to her home, Leblanc brought them to a manor near the center of Guadosalam. The home was hidden behind thick branches from the network of trees that protected the community. While the home wasn't as elegant as the former Chateau Leblanc, this new manor still represented Leblanc's superficial nature.

"Come on in, loves!" said Leblanc as she opened the front door. "Welcome to our beautiful home!"

The Gullwings were immediately greeted by a bright, pink hallway that really hit their eyes hard. It took a minute for them to adjust, but it got easier on them though as Leblanc led them to the parlor, which was painted a darker, creamy color. As they entered the parlor, Leblanc called out to her precious, Noojie so that he could speak with the Gullwings.

It took only a few moments for Nooj to appear from a nearby staircase. The man wasn't quite in his prime any longer since he grew a few years older. His brown, dreadlocks bore a few grey strands to show his age catching up with the former Deathseeker. Still though, the brown-skinned man kept his body in excellent shape even as he hobbled along with support from his cane since he lost his left leg years ago.

Mevyn Nooj pushed his glasses over the bridge of his nose as he turned to the Gullwings. He smiled at his guests as he welcomed him to the couple's home. "It has been ages since we've last seen each other, Paine," said Nooj. "How have you been, my friend?"

Smirking at her former companion, Paine dropped herself down on the nearest chair with everyone else following her example. "I've seen better days," said Paine. That was only half-true though, the Empire's trouble was pretty bad, but getting shot in the back by someone you considered your best friend was probably the worst incident. In Nooj's defense, he was possessed by a thousand year old Unsent that was hellbent on having revenge on Spira. "We need some information though."

"I figured as much," laughed Nooj. "The Gullwings never show up unless they need something."

"Isn't that right," chuckled Leblanc as she sat beside her husband. "What could possibly be so important that you need to disturb our love nest?"

Paine turned her gaze towards Haru, figuring it would be best for him to explain. Haru agreed as he got up from his chair and approached the couple. "I'm a Summoner now," said Haru. "I've forged a pact with the Aeon God, Odin."

"An Aeon God!" Nooj and Leblanc both shouted as they jumped to their feet. The couple's eyes were wide as that made it clear to the Gullwings that they knew something. Leblanc shook her head as she immediately dropped herself back on the sofa, unable to believe what she just heard.

As for Nooj, he swallowed down his doubt since he knew that Haru wouldn't joke around with something about this. Plus, no one in Spira knew about the gods' existence except for someone as high up in New Yevon like Baralai.

"Odin, God of Thunder," Nooj said, while looking at Haru with a heavy gaze. "I take it that you plan on breaking Yunalesca's seals on the other gods?"

"You know about that?" asked Mizuki.

Nooj nodded his head as he rested his back against the sofa. "Yes, I'm well aware of the gods and Yu Yevon's plans for them," said Nooj. "I spent nearly five years with Shuyin's essence inside of my body. All of his memories played through my mind. The existence of the Aeon Gods was common knowledge in Age of Zanarkand, although, by then the gods were more of a myth than anything else."

"There are nine gods," continued Nooj. "The eight, core gods represent particular elements that oppose each other. Odin is the God of Thunder with his opposite being Leviathan, God of the Sea. Then there is Shivar who is the God of Ice and his opposite is Phoenix, Goddess of Fire. There's also Titan, God of Earth, and Tiamat, Goddess of Wind. Lastly, there is Alexander, God of Light, and Diablos, God of Darkness. These eight gods weaved balance for Spira for thousands of years before they allowed their power to get the best of them and waged war against one another."

"What stopped them then?" asked Seiki.

"The ninth god," said Nooj, "the First Aeon God, the Goddess of All, Eden. The Goddess has no comparisons in terms of power. She was the first of the gods, said to have predated the others by over a thousand years, according to myth. It was Eden who quailed the war between the gods, and taught the Spirans of old how to bind Aeons into Stones. Eden contained all of the gods into stones and they were buried beneath the ground of the land that would one day become Zanarkand."

"It always comes back to Zanarkand," said Vidina.

So it seemed. Nooj couldn't disagree with the Black Mage's analysis as he turned towards Haru. "But why would you go after the gods now?" asked Nooj. "Why did you break the seals that were placed over the gods?"

"We're being chased by soldiers from Avalon," said Alia.

"They're warriors of the Pendragon Empire," said Korra.

Once more, Nooj was astonished by what he heard. He shook his head in disbelief since he couldn't believe that even more of Shuyin's old memories began to flash across his mind. "It cannot be possible," said Nooj. "I…thought Avalon was just a false memory that Shuyin constructed."

"Where is Avalon then, Nooj?" asked Paine.

Sighing deeply, Nooj lifted his head up. He pointed towards the ceiling, but it was clear that he meant something much higher. "Avalon is a continent in the sky," said Nooj. "Before the Machina War, there was another continent that existed out in the middle of the ocean. When the war had begun and the plans to create Sin were underway, citizens from Zanarkand fled before the Summoning. They warned other Spirans and they all gathered to the continent of Avalon to inform the royal family that dominated the land, the Pendragon family. According to Shuyin's memory, the Pendragon family used Machina and magic to spare Avalon from the Machina War. Somehow…they made Avalon ascend to the skies and created a barrier over it to protect it from being detected by anyone."

"So for a thousand years," said Haru, "Avalon was safe from the torment of Sin. And now that Sin is no more, they've returned to take over Spira. But why though? Why would they want to rule the world?"

"There is more to this story," said Nooj, "but I do not have all the answers. Shuyin died with Lenne not long after Avalon ascended to the sky. The answers to that question might be best found by digging through Yevon's secrets."

Agreeing with Nooj's theories, the Gullwings thanked him for the information that he was able to provide them. They left not long afterwards, leaving the couple alone with their own troubling thoughts for the safety of Spira.

Leblanc and Nooj could tell that a battle unlike any other was coming now that Haru was a Summoner of the Gods.

* * *

After their talk with Nooj and Leblanc, the Gullwings began to split up since they felt safe within Guadosalam. They would meet back at the inn at the end of the day so that they could figure out what their next move would be.

Alia wandered into the city with Paine and Korra with her. The trio was the most logical members of the Gullwings as they could clearly see how dangerous their situations were. The Empire was a large enough threat that it was no doubt was their top priority; however, Haru's journey to release the Aeon Gods was also worrisome.

They had no idea of what these gods might be planning, how powerful they were, or what fate might befall Haru if he were to forge pacts with them all.

With all of these questions in their heads, it was miracle that they didn't go completely insane.

Paine tried her best to keep her emotions in check, but she was finding it hard to do. Now, she was beginning to understand what Yuna and Rikku went through during their Pilgrimage.

Standing silent, Korra was a professional at keeping everything locked away. However, she still couldn't help but to feel conflict in her heard as she thought about the young man that she felt protective over. Like Kimahri had been for Yuna, Korra's instincts were telling her to become a faithful Guardian to Haru.

Not realizing where they were wandered towards, the trio found themselves near the Guado Manor as its doors opened up. The Guados stationed outside bowed as Tromell Guado exited his home and prepared to make his trek to the Farplane to make certain that it was safe.

Tromell was too busy focusing on his task that he failed to notice the Gullwings there. It wasn't until Alia stopped walking and called out to her fellow Guado did Tromell snap out of it.

"Oh!" Tromell said, turning to the Gullwings now. "It is good to see you, Gullwings. I had no idea you were in Guadosalam!"

"We're only here for the night, Tromell," said Paine.

"If that's the case," said Tromell, "then I would be honored if you stay at the manor for the night! We can prepared a lovely feast for you so that you may rest comfortably before you return to your mission."

"That would be lovely, thank you, Lord Tromell," said Alia as she stood next to the Guado man.

Tromell smiled at Alia for a moment before being taken back. He lost his words for a moment as he saw Alia once more, this time his surprise was obvious to Paine and Korra. "Lady Alia," said Tromell. "Umm…oh. I hope that you'll consider my offer, Gullwings. Just let the guards know that you're staying at the manor then the servants will make prepare your rooms."

"Thank you again, Tromell," said Paine as she defused an awkward situation.

Bowing, Tromell backed away from the Gullwings so that he could return to his duties. As for Alia, she turned away as she approached the manor with an air of elegance around her that wasn't noticeable before.

Paine and Korra turned to each other, not sure what just happened here. There was clearly something between Alia and Tromell that they just weren't aware of. There was history between them that they were both just dying to figure out, but knew better to pry for so they had no choice but to go over to the manor as well.

* * *

Standing at the ridge closest to the Thunder Plains, Seiki was doing his best to establish a connection with the Machine Faction. He figured that there would be a ton of static considering the fact that the Thunder Plains had the tendency to disrupt signals, but it was easier than try to go through the Moonflow. Plus, he was hoping that the abundance of lightning in the Thunder Plains would generate enough energy to make sure that his signal would at least get through.

Seiki held up his communicator, waiting for any bit of good news when he finally got a sharp ring from a connecting channel. The sudden noise caught Seiki by surprise though since he was in the quiet, Guado City that he nearly fell off his ridge. The teen composed himself though as he got someone to finally answer his call.

"Finally! I've been trying to get ahold of someone for like ever!" Seiki said, in Al Bhed. "This is Seiki."

"SEIKI!" shouted a familiar voice in the communicator. "Where have you been?"

"You won't believe me even if I tell you, Uncle," Seiki said to his mother's brother…Brother. "The Celsius has suffered serious damage from a Machina attack. We need help fixing it."

"Not my baby!" shouted Brother through the communicator.

There was a brief amount of static with Brother suddenly going silent. Another voice appeared through the communicator that Seiki also recognized. "This is Buddy, Seiki. Where is the Celsius?" asked Buddy.

"At the Thunder Plains, near Guadosalam," said Seiki.

"Perfect! Shinra just left for the Macalania Woods this morning. He'll be there by tomorrow evening," said Buddy. "I can get him to help you with the repairs."

"Dryhg oui!" cheered Seiki as he said thank you in Al Bhed.

Ending the communication, Seiki started to dance around on the ledge of the tree. He was excited to hear that they would finally get some help. He was so excited too that he failed to realize that he was walking in the middle of the road and nearly bumped into two travelers.

Seiki ended up stumbling back as the klutziness that he inherited from his mother got the best of him, again. He soon felt strong hands on his arms to keep him from falling, which caused him to look up to see that a hooded man was holding him. The only reason that the Al Bhed was able to tell that it was a man was because he could faintly see the man's face from his dark, green hood.

A faint smile poked out from the hood with Seiki also noticing some stubble too.

Blushing, Seiki immediately recomposed himself as he turned to the man and the man's companion. "Cunno!" (Sorry) said the Al Bhed teen.

"Pa lynavim," (Be careful) the man said, gently.

Surprised that the man could speak Al Bhed, Seiki's eyes lit up as the man's companion led them both away. Seiki couldn't help but to follow the two with his eyes for as long as he could when he noticed the man turn back, still smiling at him.

Feeling his heart race, Seiki didn't know what to do, but he did know that his knees felt weak after hearing the man speak Al Bhed.

* * *

A lone Guado stood guard over the entrance to the Farplane. The realm of the Pyreflies where the dead were said to enter upon death was so close to them now. This land of near infinite energy could make nearly anything possible, especially now that the Fayth that had fought against Sin for a thousand years were finally allowed rest here.

The Farplane was where the living could briefly reunite with the dead if that was so desired.

However, standing near the entrance, Mizuki found herself unable to take even another step further towards the Farplane. Her body was frozen still with her thoughts being what paralyzed her body. So many thoughts came rushing towards her head as she pictured what it would be like to see her parents, together, in the Farplane.

That wasn't the only thing though. Even if the dead could not speak to the living, seeing them would be enough to devastate Mizuki. She knew that Haru becoming a Summoner was not something that was too be desired. Even after their talk with Nooj, they still had no idea how dangerous it was for a mortal to forge a pact with a god. The consequences could be devastating but they just didn't know it yet.

Mizuki continued to stand there, unable to move an inch as her fears weighed her down.

"You don't have to go in alone if you're too afraid." When she heard that voice, it caused Mizuki to turn her neck around to see Vidina behind her. Vidina started to get closer towards her until he was near the Gate to the Farplane. "I cannot even imagine what's going through your head," said Vidina. "I still remember my parents' stories about their pilgrimage with your parents. They were all so afraid for your mother…yet she kept on smiling and marched on to Zanarkand, knowing that death would await her if she obtained the Final Aeon."

Closing her eyes, Mizuki tried not to remember all of the stories too. There were just so many of them that they would suffocate her if she allowed them to weigh her down.

"We're all afraid for Haru, Mizuki," said Vidina. "You don't have to go through this alone. Let us carry some of that burden with you."

Reaching out, Vidina took hold of Mizuki's hand. He gently squeezed them to clearly show her the promise that he was willing to make for her. Looking at Vidina, Mizuki had tears threatening to swell up from her eyes even as her blonde hair covered part of her face as the brave warrior found herself facing a mountain of doubt with her bare hands. This was so unlike Mizuki since Vidina always knew her as the strong-willed girl that never shed tears for anyone, not even at her own mother's funeral.

"What if something happens to Haru though?" asked Mizuki. "What if breaking these seals is just as deadly as using the Final Aeon against Sin?" Clearly, above all things, Mizuki was terrified of losing her brother. It was a fear that she held so close to her heart since Haru was more than just the only family she had left; he was also the most important person in her life. "I…I cannot let this kill my brother."

"Then we'll be his Guardians, Mizuki!" said Vidina. "Just like my parents and your father walked beside your mother to Zanarkand; we'll walk beside Haru on his quest to release the Aeon Gods. And if…if death is the price then we'll find a way to change Haru's fate! I promise you that, Mizuki."

Feeling his hand crush hers, Mizuki found some reassurance in his words. Those words were probably the one thing that was true about this situation. If need me then she would be just as stubborn as her father was before her and his father before him. Mizuki came from a family of stubborn people that would defy the odds to defend their Summoners.

If they could find a way to break the cycle of death for Summoners and free the Fayth from their torment then Mizuki could figure out a way to ensure Haru's safety, the gods' release, and the Empire's defeat.

Sensing her sudden rush of clarity, Vidina kept hold of Mizuki's hand. "Do you think you can face them now?" asked Vidina.

"There's no need," Mizuki whispered, softly. "Seeing my parents won't tell me anything I don't know or change what you told me." Squeezing back his hand, Mizuki started to smile as she turned towards him. The clarity made things clear to her now so that she could stand with pride. "We'll protect Haru because we are his Guardians!"

Smiling back at her, Vidina agreed with her on that one. They started to back away from the Farplane so that they could reunite with the rest of their friends.

* * *

Just outside of Guadosalam was the Moonflow. The river that ran through this beautiful woods glistened as Pyreflies glistened over the river and the Moon Lilies beneath the surface. It was here that the Pyreflies would gather for a time before crossing over to the Farplane in Guadosalam.

Finding solace here, Haru sat at the edge of the river with his feet in the water. He heard the soft humming of the Pyreflies as they flew around him on their journey to the afterlife.

All of the Pyreflies made Haru think of the second duty that Summoners had. Aside from summoning Aeons to protect people, Summoners were tasked with the sacred duty of sending the dead to the Farplane. Without the Fayth around though, former Summoners taught the Sending arts to individuals who wished to learn this art. The Council gathered these individuals and called them Senders who were tasked with sending the dead since there were no more Summoners to fulfil this task.

Haru held his hand out, allowing a Pyrefly to touch him as he wondered if he should start gathering the courage to perform a Sending. He remembered his mother's stories about performing them while she was a Summoner. They were the most terrifying memories that she had as his mother told him about how she could feel the sorrows of those who had died. While Sending them prevented the dead from turning into Fiends, the act of Sending still placed a heavy burden on the Summoner.

Soon enough, he'd have to make a decision on what to do. It wasn't all about just what traditions that he should keep, it was more than that. He needed to know about what he was supposed to do as a Summoner, what he had to do for Spira, and what he needed to do to protect his friends from the Empire.

Haru sat alone at the Moonflow, occasionally staring out into the river with his mind fading away with the gentle hum of the Pyreflies. It was during these moments where he got lost in beauty of nature that Haru didn't even hear the sound of footsteps behind him.

"Gil for your thoughts?"

Pulled back into reality, Haru was temporarily stunned when he looked back to see Arthur standing behind him. The young Summoner had no idea how Arthur kept on finding him in these random places. "You really have to stop startling me," giggled Haru. "I'm gonna have a heart attack at this rate if you keep surprising me."

Collapsing besides him, Arthur couldn't help but to chuckle. He started to take off his leather boots and tossed them next to Haru's shoes as he dipped his toes into the water. "I'm sorry about that, love," said Arthur. "I'll make plenty of noise next time so that you don't get scared."

"That's all I ask," smiled Haru.

Leaning in, Haru kissed Arthur on the cheek before turning his gaze back out to the Moonflow. The couple was looking out at the river, while the Pyreflies continued to do their dance over the river. It really was a breathtaking sight to see as the sun slowly started to set over the Moonflow with the lilies beginning to blossom.

Arthur placed his hand over Haru's hand as he looked out. "This is quite the sight," said Arthur. "Watching the Pyreflies, it looks as though they're making love. Don't you think?"

Haru choked back a chuckle as he started to cough, hard. The young man turned towards the other boy with his eyes wide in surprise. "You're joking right?" said Haru. "I don't think I know anyone who thinks that way."

"What can I say," said Arthur as he leaned in closer towards Haru, "I think outside of the box."

Kissing his lips, Arthur brought Haru's feelings up to the surface. Haru fell for the mesmerizing kiss and the touch of Arthur's hands on his skin. It was almost like he was under a spell, which he was not.

Arthur was no sorcerer. He didn't have any magical powers to use against Haru. However, the young prince was a master of seduction though as he was able to get Haru to break his guard. This small opening was what Arthur needed to take advantage of. So he deepened the kiss, hoping to get more from Haru so that his plan would work.

While he didn't want to exploit Haru like this, Arthur knew that he had to get the Summoner into a state of pure bliss. Then…then he might just be able to convince Haru to leave for Avalon with him. If he brought Haru to his mother then he just might be able to convince her to spare his life.

Haru was oblivious to all of this though as he deepened the kiss. He had no idea if it was his near death experience or becoming a Summoner that brought this side out of him. All he did know was that he needed to get closer to Arthur, to feel more of the other boy's body.

Sensing this, Arthur wanted to offer himself up too. The two lads fell on the soft grass as they slowly worked on peeling away their clothes. Gentle kisses were planted on their exposed flesh with the two of them trying not to make too much noise since they weren't too far from the main road. That was hard to do as the warm lips on flesh was so arousing to each boy that it was nearly enough to cause them to climax.

Haru's hands explored Arthur's chest. Even though he was older, Haru was surprised by just how physical developed Arthur was compared to him. Arthur's arms were thicker, his chest was more muscular and hairier, and his…privates were longer too. Haru felt like the younger one in this situation, but reminded himself that he was the older one to appease his nerves.

Playing with the blond hairs on his chest, Haru couldn't help but to feel even more aroused by Arthur especially as he took in his scent. Arthur smiled as he brought his mouth to Haru's neck, taking a gentle bite that caused Haru to grind his rear against his lap. That contact was powerful enough to set them both off over the edge as they both knew what they wanted next.

After a few minutes of prepping Haru with his fingers, Arthur eventually helped guide Haru down on his erection. Haru sat on Arthur's lap with his thin arms wrapped around Arthur's shoulders as he gave out a soft moan. Arthur's erection was enveloped by Haru's insides, squeezing him so tight that he thought he'd explode. Feeling Haru's own erection rub against his abs also brought out a more aggressive nature from the prince.

The Summoner rode the prince, both crying out in pure bliss. Their lips occasionally making contact as the hum of the Pyreflies grew louder around them. Haru and Arthur kept their arms locked around each other, pushing each other to reach their climax until they finally came together.

Blinded with bliss, neither one had the urge to move even the slightest inch. However, as the sun was nearly gone now, they both knew that they needed to get dressed.

Kissing one another once again, Haru and Arthur finally parted ways long enough to retrieve their clothes. Haru cleaned his backside out with the river before slipping his clothes back on. Arthur was already fully dressed when Haru finally started to slip his shorts on and fixed his shirt.

Haru smiled at Arthur, about to ask what the young man was staring at when something caught the Summoner's attention. Haru noticed that Arthur's hand was suspiciously close towards his sword. The first thing that came to his mind that someone else was there, likely a Fiend, which is what would naturally cause Arthur to be on the defensive.

However, Haru felt nothing near them except for the peaceful Pyreflies. This troubled the young man until Arthur started to approach him, hand still on the hilt of his sword though.

"Arthur?" whispered Haru.

"It's alright, Haru," Arthur said. "It'll just be easier for us both if you don't fight me."

Arthur tried to grab hold of Haru as he drew out his sword. He positioned his sword near the Summoner, which alarmed Haru as he immediately backed away from the prince.

Not wanting to allow Haru to get away from him, Arthur lunged closer towards Haru only to feel pressure pushing him back. In the second that it took Arthur to move, Haru already conjured a protect spell over himself to push the prince back. Haru held his hands up as he bent over to retrieve his pistol and pointed it at Arthur's head.

All feelings of lust melted away in an instant as Haru only saw an enemy.

In that recognition, power coursed around Haru in a rippling display. Dozens of rose petals scattered around him, without any words necessary, Odin appeared to defend his Summoner. The Aeon God stepping forward to point its lance at the young prince that dared to take advantage of Haru's emotions.

"You'd use a god to fight your battles?" said Arthur.

"What are you talking about, Arthur?" shouted Haru. "Why are you attacking me in the first place?"

Shaking his head, Arthur placed his sword back into his sheath. He raised his hands up so to show Odin that he wasn't going to do anything else to Haru since there was no point in hiding any longer. It looked like he failed miserably at keeping his promise to Morgana about keeping his secret. "My name is Prince Arthur Pendragon," said Arthur to make himself clear. "I am the crown-prince of the Kingdom of Avalon!"

Recognizing all of those names, Haru's mind went into complete shock. He couldn't even keep his pistol raised against Arthur as he found himself unable to believe what he just heard. "No," whispered Haru. "You…tell me you're lying."

"I'm sorry, Haru," whispered Arthur as he started to back away.

Haru tried to stop Arthur from leaving as Odin immediately sprang into action. The Aeon God prepared to throw at thunderbolt at the young prince only to be stopped when Haru commanded the god not to harm Arthur.

This surprising act of compassion brought pain to Arthur still. The young prince turned his head away, in shame as he knew that Haru would be devastated by his revelation. "I only wanted to save you, Haru," Arthur said, loudly. "I hoped that bringing you to the Queen would be enough to convince her to spare you."

Even if he had just spared Arthur from Odin's attack, Haru just couldn't stomach this right now. It took every fiber of control in his body not to vomit after what he just did with Arthur combined with his revelation. "Just go!" Haru shouted, not wanting to hear any of it. "Please…just go, Arthur."

Nodding his head, Arthur left before Haru could change his mind. He ran down the Moonflow, taking himself further away from Guadosalam.

Odin disarmed himself as he turned towards his Summoner. The god saw the pain in the boy's heart as Haru collapsed to his knees. Tears swelling from his young eyes as he couldn't believe that the young man that he was in love with was the prince of the Empire that was trying to kill them.

The truth always brought devastating pain with it. It was something that just had to be expected, but it never was.

Kneeling before his Summoner, Odin reached out to place his large hand on Haru's back, while the young man continued to cry.


	11. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: BAH! Surprise! Another fun-filled chapter for The Lost Millennium! I hope you enjoy it. Read and review!**

**Cold-Hearted**:

Tears were shed at the Moonflow after Haru learned of who Arthur really was. The young Summoner remained at the Moonflow, crying, until Mizuki discovered her brother with Odin standing guard over him. The look of pain on Haru's face told Mizuki everything that she needed to know as she helped him back to Guadosalam to the Guado Manor where they were staying the night.

Haru eventually explained everything that happened with Arthur, excluding the part where they had sex though.

It was obvious enough from there for everyone to figure out just how much pain he truly was. They left him alone for the night so that he could hopefully piece himself together. However, Mizuki stayed near her brother, even going as far as to share a bed with her younger brother, doing her best to comfort him in his time of need.

Well into the night, Haru's tears finally began to slow down long enough for him to breathe and eat something. Mizuki had some fruit that she took from the feast that Tromell had prepared for his guests. The natural sweetness of the fruit helped to calm Haru down, but there still was an intense sadness coming from his heart that threatened to consume the young Summoner.

Mizuki stayed up with her brother, doing all that she could to keep him together. While it was harder than she imagined, a good big sister had to be there.

"I'm sorry, Haru," said Mizuki as she placed her head on Haru's shoulder.

"Are you really?" choked Haru as he dropped his piece of orange. "You never liked Arthur."

"Well, I didn't know the guy," said his sister. "And…and I wanted to give the guy a chance. He just showed his true colors before I had chance to spend time with him. So yeah, I really don't like him." Mizuki started to brush Haru's hair back, running her fingers through his scalp to help him calm down. This trick always worked when they were kids so she was hoping it would work now. "If you think about it, it's better that you found about this now before you got in too deep. I mean, imagine what he could've done, he is the prince of the wacko empire that's trying to kill us."

Haru held back the urge to tell her that he had already slept with Arthur. There was nothing bigger than that. Keeping his mouth shut though, Haru knew that saying that would only make the pain worse. Between Mizuki's judging and just saying it aloud, Haru knew that he couldn't deal with all of that just yet.

So he simply swallowed down the tears that were threatening to swell as he collapsed back onto the fluffy mattress. The soft light coming from the crystal chandler above them provided the only bit of light in the bedroom.

Trying to close his eyes, Haru prayed for a sleep without any dreams of Arthur. He tried to cast aside all memories of today so that he may focus instead on the quest that Odin entrusted him with.

However, a peaceful rest eluded him. As Haru drifted off into sleep, the dreams of Arthur returned with the two of them in Zanarkand once again. Even though Haru never sat foot at the ruins of the city, his mind pictured the beautiful city as it was a thousand years ago. In his dream, he was sitting out on the beach with Arthur beside him. The two smiling, laughing as the dream brought painful beauty into his soul.

Watching her brother as he slept, Mizuki sighed in defeat. She knew that neither Guardians nor family could protect someone from matters of the heart, but it didn't stop Mizuki from feeling like a failure.

She hated the pain that Arthur brought to her little brother. She hated that she didn't realize he was trouble sooner. But most of all, she hated that she could never protect Haru from the type of pain that he was feeling.

Lying down beside him, Mizuki wrapped one arm over her brother as she pulled her pillow in close. She closed her eyes as she tried to get some sleep as well, and prayed in her sleep that Haru would feel even at little better by morning.

* * *

With the morning sun rising over Guadosalam, the Gullwings made their preparations to return to the Thunder Plains. Now that they didn't have the Empire chasing after them, they took advantage of the peace to start their investigation of the damage done to the Celsius. Their airship had suffered from some serious damage during the Empire's attack so they were going to wait there for Shinra's unit to help them.

Crossing the stormy plains, the group made it to where Paine was forced to land the airship after sustaining too much damage from the Dragon-Machina. There wasn't much smoke rising from the Celsius now, which was a good sign that the engine was no longer in danger of overheating.

Seiki approached the damaged airship first, jaw dropped as he saw just how bad things were with his own eyes. It devastated him to see all of this as he ran towards the Celsius and begun his own diagnostics of the damage done. He had seen Paine's report, but he wanted to look at just how bad things were with his own eyes.

It took a while for the initial figures to come to him, but Seiki was able to see everything that he needed to see. It was even worse than the report that Paine had given him. "Holy shit!" shouted Seiki as he stood outside the Celsius. At the main panel, he was pulling up a simple report, but still needed to get inside to see what else was wrong. This initial report clearly showed just how bad everything was. "Oh crap! Oh crap!"

"Judging by how many 'oh crap's you used," said Alia, "I take it that the Celsius is really damaged."

"It's even worse than I feared!" sighed Seiki as he collapsed to the rocky ground. "Brother and Buddy are gonna kill me if they ever find out how bad the damage is. The Celsius is their baby."

Paine sighed deeply as she feared that might just happened. She knew the trouble that Brother and Buddy went through to try to acquire the Celsius from the frozen, Northern Seas. It was a journey that nearly cost them their lives.

Sitting away from the others, Mizuki and Vidina kept guard over Haru with Korra's help. They didn't trust just how calm things were, especially after being chased by an Empire these last couple of days. With their airship down, it only meant that they were even more vulnerable to an attack from their new enemies.

Rising to his feet, Seiki went over to the rest of the group. He hung his head low, mumbling a few words in Al Bhed about how horrible the damage was to the Celsius.

However, before anyone could question Seiki, their communicator began to ring. Seiki was forced to answer it since it was a line that only the higher-ups of the Machine Faction had access too. He figured it was Shinra contacting him so he didn't want to waste any time in getting the airship back into the air.

"Seiki here," said the Al Bhed teen.

"Trouble at the woods!" shouted an Al Bhed on the other side of the channel. "Eagle Unit is under attack by Fiends!"

The Gullwings immediately began to spring up to their feet. Even though the words were in Al Bhed, they understood the word Fiend as clear as day! Even Haru was back up on his feet as he seemingly forgot about his heartache in light of needing to protect their allies.

Seiki informed the member of Eagle Unit that the Gullwings were on their way. He ended the communication as he turned to the crew, knowing that they would all be ready for a fight.

Rushing back towards the Macalania Woods, the Gullwings were on their way to rescue Shinra and his group from this Fiend threat.

* * *

On the sky continent, Morgana returned home to Avalon to find more soldiers gathering at the royal palace. This was a development that she was expecting since Lancelot did return home before she did. It is only natural that the general would've called for more troops to send down to the ground for battle.

Morgana entered the palace and immediately made her way towards the throne room where she knew her mother was likely to be found. The princess walked down the halls, her dark dress trialing behind her as soldiers and servants bowed before her as they welcomed her return.

Their comments went ignored as she was focused on making her report to the queen.

Pushing the doors to the throne open, Morgana entered to find it empty except for Merlin and Lancelot who were yelling at one another. Their argument came to a close once Morgana appeared though, leaving the princess to wonder what they were debating about. As much as she loved gossip, however, Morgana had to remember why she was here.

Merlin bowed before the princess, while Lancelot didn't move much as he was sporting obvious injuries. The general's knight was in a sling with several scratches decorating his face. As Lancelot stood at his position, the wizard went over to the princess with a cheerful smile appearing on his face.

"It is good to see you are well, Morgana," said Merlin. "Where is Arthur?"

"Down on the surface still, monitoring the Gullwings," said the princess. As she made it to the center of the throne, a serious expression formed on her face. This look alarmed Merlin and Lancelot since this expression of hers never meant anything goods. "There has been a troubling development. I'm afraid that the Gullwings have not only beaten our forces, but Haru has also broken the seal on a god."

"Blasted damnation!" shouted Lancelot. "This would've never happened if I hadn't failed my mission."

Merlin sighed deeply as he shook his head. "This is a serious development," said the wizard. "If Haru continues to forge pacts with the gods then our forces are in danger. Even with all of our soldier and Machina, they cannot last in a battle against gods."

That fact rang painfully in their heads. The trio understood that action would need to be taken to swiftly remedy the current situation. They needed something to make certain that Haru would be eliminated before he could forge more pacts with the other Aeon Gods.

Loud footsteps echoed in the throne room, causing the trio to look away to see their queen arriving. Queen Igraine bore a vicious smile on her face as several more bodies began to follow behind her. The bodies were suited in elegant armor that was even more ornate then the set that Lancelot typically wore into the battle.

Queen Igraine gathered the nine knights behind her as she called for daughter and advisors to come closer to her. "These developments do not bother me," the queen spoke, calmly. "It will take time for the Gullwings to find the rest of the gods. We will exploit this opportunity to strike them down with talent rather than armies."

"It is time for the Royal Knights to march to battle once more," said Queen Igraine. "Once your injuries are sufficiently healed, I expect you to lead the Knights into battle, Lancelot."

"Yes, my queen!" said Lancelot as he bowed

Igraine turned to her daughter next, taking the young woman's hand. "Now, Morgana," said the queen. "I understand that your Aeons were bested by a god. While understandable, we must remedy that problem at once."

Agreeing with her other, Morgana desired just that as well. The response was for the queen to call upon Merlin to follow her to the labs at the basement of the palace. They needed to work together if they were going to expand the powers of Morgana's Aeons so that she would have a fighting chance against Haru's Aeon Gods.

While they left the throne room, Lancelot assembled the Royal Knights to him. The Knights were going to make their preparations for their mission to the surface world. They needed to be just as ready for anything as Gullwings were trying to be for them.

* * *

Into the Macalania Woods, the Gullwings made their return in order to rescue Shinra's unit of Al Bhed researchers. They had no idea where at the woods the Al Bhed were at, but they figured they would likely be near the merchant shop of O'aka the 23rd. The merchant had an interesting relationship with the Al Bhed since purchasing his shop from Rin at the start of the Eternal Calm.

The crystal woods glistened as the group strolled through the woods to find the Al Bhed. It wasn't looking good though since there still were no signs of anyone else in these empty woods.

At least until the sound of gunfire could be heard in the distance. Korra was easily able to identify that the gunfire wasn't too far from them. She was also able to detect a series of voices, shouting what sounded like words from the Al Bhed language.

Figuring it was the Al Bhed researchers, the Gullwings took off towards the sound of the gunfire. While it might run in the contrary of everything sane people would do, they still ran where they heard the gunfire coming from.

The Gullwings ran closer towards O'aka's shop when they made it just outside the crystal woods. At this point, the Gullwings saw dozens of Fiends in the area as it appeared that the local monsters were upset by something. The Fiends were attempting to attack a group of Al Bhed, but the group wasn't defenseless though as they fired their Machina weapons against the creatures.

Slowly, the Fiends' numbers were cut down, but not enough to end the threat to them. The Fiends present were Snow Wolves, Ice Elementals, Evil Eyes, and Ice Helms. All of the Fiends tried to devour the Al Bhed, but the brave Al Bhed fought on in order to save their lives.

"We don't have any time to waste!" shouted Paine as she raised her sword. "Gullwings, fight!"

The Gullwings began to assemble as they ran off into battle.

Paine dragged her blade across the crystal ground until she swung it over. Her sword sliced its way through a Snow Wolf, eliminating one of the Fiends that surrounded the Al Bhed.

Climbing over a crystalized branch, Seiki had his steel rings out. He flung one out to attack an Evil Eye from a distance and was successful in eliminating that Fiend. As Seiki landed though, Korra appeared over him as the Ronso did the same trick. Korra pointed the tip of her lance down in order to pierce another of the Evil Eyes' defenses.

Alia and Mizuki joined their swords together, surrounded by multiple Snow Wolves and Ice Helms. The women leaped into the challenge as they swung their blades at their foes. Mizuki's agility allowed her to strike the wolves with her longsword, ending their existence with a single blow. Alia had similar results as she used the strength of her katana to crack through the Ice Helm's thick shell.

Haru pointed his mage-gun at a nearby Ice Elemental, shooting it down with a single bullet. He repeated this process several more times until Vidina told him to stop. The Black Mage jumped over Haru's head with a surge of magical energy swirling around him. Vidina began to cast his spell, unleashing a wave of fire from his body that burned through the remainder of the Fiends in the area.

All of these creatures were sent out to the Farplane as the Gullwings finished their mission here.

Pyreflies ascended to the sky, slowly scattering apart until the coast was clear. Everyone began to lower their weapons now as they could tell that they were at least safer here in the woods.

One of the Al Bhed approached the Gullwings, offering his thanks for their help. "We're glad that you got our transmission," said the Al Bhed. "We don't know how it happened, but a surge of Fiends just started to appear around the dried lakebed near the ruins of the Macalania Temple."

"That's not good," said Mizuki. "Do you have any idea what might've caused this surge in Fiends?"

"No idea," said another Al Bhed. "The Fiends attacked before we could figure out what caused their arrival. We lost a few men, including Shinra by the time we retreated to O'aka's."

There was coughing behind the group of Al Bhed, causing the researchers to scatter. Emerging from the group was an older man, dressed in odd clothes with a little bit of his stomach sticking out from his vest. He carried a large, green bag at his back with his red hair peeking out from his black hat.

"Gullwings!" shouted the Merchant Extraordinaire, O'aka. "I am so happy to see you here. It's just like the Al Bhed said, the Fiends just appeared from nowhere. I tried to tend to their injuries when the Fiends started to attack my shop! We had no choice but to flee to the woods, but they still followed us here."

"It sounds like something suspicious is going on at the lakebed," said Vidina.

"Could it be one of the gods?" Alia asked Haru.

The young Summoner was starting to think that now. He could hear Odin's thoughts in his mind with the god warning him that a seal might've been corrupted, causing the surge in Fiends.

Seiki stomped his foot on the ground though as he took hold of his steel rings. "None of that matters!" said Seiki. "We have to get down to the lakebed and save Shinra…if he's still alive! We're gonna need his help and research."

"Then let us hurry," said Korra. "We cannot waste time!"

The Gullwings began to take charge as they went over towards the snowy plains over at Lake Macalania. The Al Bhed and O'aka wished the Sphere-Hunters well as they took this moment of peace to heal and rearm themselves.

* * *

Leaving the woods, the Gullwings found themselves in the melting fields. Snow continued to fall from the sky, but not in the volumes that it had used to before the Eternal Calm. With the Fayth of the Macalania Temple no more, the eternal winter that blanketed Macalania started to melt. It all started too with the ice that kept the Macalania Temple above the lake breaking apart until the Temple was submerged beneath the lake.

The shop was covered in scratches and magical scars from the Fiends that had attacked it. They could tell from the signs of battle that the damages to the shop were why the Al Bhed fled into the woods. The damages were so severe that they wouldn't be able to stay in there before their shelter collapsed on them.

Paine felt some pity for O'aka, especially since she had gone through so much trouble with Yuna and Rikku to help him regain his shop.

The Gullwings looked around the melting plains until they felt a disturbing presence in the area. Alia, Korra, and Haru felt it more so then the others though due to their sensitivity to Pyreflies and Fiends. The rest of the crew could still sense the trouble though as they ran over a snowy hill until they saw a colossal void that led down to the lakebed.

Something dangerous could be felt from all the way down there. None of them like how the dark presence felt, but they felt confident that they would be able to handle it with an Aeon God fighting at their side.

A small slope led straight down to the lakebed, which is the route that they chose to take since they had no other choice. They ran as quickly as they could down the snowy slope, hoping that they would be able to do something to rescue Shinra before it was too late.

* * *

Warm alcohol burned its way down Arthur's throat as he swallowed his fifth glass of the day. The intoxicating effect of alcohol started to make his head swim, bringing the delightful, numbing agent that he so desired after his act of stupidity from yesterday.

Arthur knew from the beginning that trying to kidnap Haru was a ridiculous idea. There was absolutely no sense in it at all; he knew that. Yet he still went through with trying to kidnap the Summoner and take him to Avalon to his mother. As well-meaning as the plan was, it was a stupid plan that only brought trouble in its wake.

"Haru knows who I am now and he'll never trust me again," said Arthur after calling on the Hypello bartender to bring him his sixth drink. The glass of liquor was placed in front of the prince, bringing a warm smile to his face. He looked forward to finishing another glass, hoping that the alcohol would just erase all memory of his stupidity.

Nothing was that powerful, except for magic. As he took his first few sips, Arthur thought about having Merlin devise a memory potion to erase Haru's memory of that incident. That wouldn't work though. There was no doubt in Arthur's head that Haru already told his friends about what happened, minus the part about the amazing sex.

That was something else that Arthur was finding himself regretting. He took Haru's virginity then betrayed him in such a horrible manner. It brought shame down on the prince's shoulders as he felt as if he betrayed his chivalrous code.

"What a worthless sack of shit I am," whispered Arthur as he made it halfway through with the glass.

Sitting at a bar in the Moonflow, Arthur planned to allow his sorrow to overwhelm him. He wanted nothing more with anything. And in his intoxicated state, he failed to hear the footsteps from behind him. A body took a seat down next to Arthur with the stranger flagging the bartender down to get his own drink.

"You're not that bad, old friend. You're only half a sack of shit."

Raising an eyebrow up, Arthur slightly slumped out of his chair to face the stranger. His eyes lit up as he sobered up for only a second though which was long enough for him to recognize who was beside him.

Sitting at the bar with the prince was a young man with a stubbly, dark beard that matched his perfectly-groomed hair. The young man appeared a few years older than the prince and was more rugged from his facial appearance but also because of his experience on the battlefield. With his firm body covered in his dark robes, the young man finally received his drink as he stretched his body up, briefly, to reveal the Gunblade that he had strapped to his back.

"Galahad," slurred Arthur. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Arthur," laughed Galahad. "You're getting drunk at a rather slumish bar. Shouldn't a prince be someplace a little more…nobler?"

"And what's your excuse, Knight?" asked Arthur.

"I'm here on a secret mission with Guinevere," said Galahad as he drank his drink.

Arthur huffed at his old friend after mentioning another one of his companions. The prince's head slumped down onto the bar as it was clear that this last drink was the end of the road for him.

A smirk formed on Galahad's face as he finished off his drink. Since no one at the bar was paying attention to them, Galahad pulled something from his robes. In his hands was a tiny, microchip that he implanted onto Arthur's clothes. The microchip would help Galahad and Guinevere with their plans, and to ensure that they would be better capable at providing the Gullwings with protection.

With the microchip implanted, Galahad paid for the prince's tab. He then helped carry his childhood friend back to the inn where he could sleep the alcohol off. It amazed Galahad just how heavy Arthur had gotten in the last two years. He regretted allowing Arthur to get this drunk though since he could've easily stopped the prince four drinks ago.

No matter, despite having to carry Arthur's dead weight, Galahad was at least successful on his mission. Now, he just needed to take care of the prince and wait until Guinevere returned from her mission.

* * *

The snowy slope was stable enough to not collapse under the Gullwings' feet, which helped them to make it to the lakebed. Running over the dried lake, the Gullwings ran over to the area near the ruins of Macalania Temple. That was where they sensed the source of this Fiend outbreak and that is where they would hopefully find Shinra and any other survivors.

Korra led the group since the Ronso's defense was stronger than the rest of them. She could hear shouting and the occasional gunfire. Warning the others that there would be trouble waiting, they were able to prepare themselves accordingly.

Rushing towards the other side of the lakebed, the Gullwings arrived to where the ruins of Macalania Temple were. The temple's remains were scattered across the dried lakebed with hundreds of Pyreflies flickering around. A depressing sight was made worse by the amount of bodies that they found of the Al Bhed that had fell from the surge of Fiends.

Closing his eyes, Haru felt horrified by the sight of the dead. There weren't mean Al Bhed there, but there were at least six bodies present. The Pyreflies gathered around these dead men, seemingly attempting the process of turning them into Fiends.

Alia brushed her hand against the Pyreflies, causing them to disperse from the bodies of the dead. The Guado was able to provide that small bit of protection for the dead, allowing them some peace as they drifted away into the next life.

Gunfire caught their attention though as the Gullwings immediately took off again deeper towards the temple's scattered remained. Passing by a few arches, the group found themselves climbing over a long pillar that helped to support the temple for a thousand years. Once they got over the pillar, they spotted a man on the ground with a rifle in his hand that he shot at a gigantic gel of a Fiend.

The Fiend was made of thousands of Pyreflies in order to grow to those proportions. It's clear, dark green fluid condescend itself into a liquid gel. A diamond core could be spotted from its center, which no doubt was the weak spot of the creature.

Looking down at the lone survivor, Seiki recognized the rifleman as Shinra. The Al Bhed genius was in grave danger as he was clearly injured and this deadly Fiend was heading straight towards him.

"We have to save Shinra!" shouted Seiki as he flung his steel ring.

The cold wind briefly whistled as the ring flew across the lakebed. The steel ring struck the gel, barely grazing it before returning to its wielder. Seiki jumped down from the pillar with the other Gullwings following his example.

Paine raised her sword into the air as she activated her Garment Grid. She had experience fighting gels before and knew of how difficult these brands of Fiends were so she needed raw power to fight them. Darkness quickly gathered around her until her sword transformed into a black, skull blade with sharp spikes. Black armor also coated her body with various spikes sticking out from her body as she activated her Dark Knight Dressphere.

Paine took charge of the situation as she moved with remarkable skill. She gathered darkness into her body in order to release an attack to damage the sphere. "Darkness is my ally!" said Paine. "Those who cross me shall know its wrath!" Raising her sword into the air, she swung it forward to release her darkness. A wave of dark orbs scattered from her body to strike the gelatinous Fiend with all of its might.

An eerie sound escaped from the Fiend as it began to disperse before them.

Rushing towards their fallen ally, the Gullwings surrounded Shinra to offer their protection. They knew that Paine's attack wasn't the end of this battle. There was bound to be something else that would show itself since they could all sense the lingering dark energy.

In the meantime though, Haru dropped to his knees as he applied healing magic on Shinra. The Al Bhed sighed with relief as he felt the mana repair the injuries to his body. "I almost thought I was a goner," said Shinra. "I didn't think you'd show up to save me."

"Of course we'd help you out, Shinra!" said Mizuki. "You're our friend."

Smiling, Shinra closed his eyes to give himself some to rest as Haru's White Magic worked their charm on his body.

Swinging her lance around, Korra prepared herself for battle alongside the rest of her companions. The Ronso sensed something dangerous approaching as she alerted them all of the battle that was about to begin.

A moment after she spoke, thousands of Pyreflies started to assemble to create several more of the gelatinous Fiends that Paine destroyed. The surging numbers of Fiends meant trouble for the Gullwings as they saw dozens of these Fiends surrounding them.

Vidina was beginning to sweat it now since he knew that his magic didn't work on these brands of Fiends. He had no other way of fighting without his signature brand of Black Magic. At least, that's what he thought until Haru handed an over magical-gun to him.

"Their magical bullets, remember?" said Haru. "I won't need it since I have Odin."

"Thanks, dude!" said Vidina as he took the gun and took aim at the first Fiend that he saw. The gun absorbed his mana, releasing a blast of magical energy that sent one of the gels packing.

Korra and Seiki took charge as well to fend off the Fiends. Seiki would toss his steel rings around in order to distract the Fiends so that Korra could round them up and deliver a fatal blow with her lance. While not a powerful weapon, at least in appearance, Korra's lance was forged of Ronso steel, which had the properties to neutralize magical Fiends like these gels.

As Korra sliced down another of the gels, Seiki traded his rings in for his rifle. The Al Bhed teen took aim and blasted the nearest gel with a powerful, matter-shattering bullet. His bullet was perfectly able to cut through the gel's liquid barrier in order to pierce the nuclease at the center in order to destroy it.

Paine gathered more of the dark powers from her dressphere to help her in combat. She waved her darkness in encased sword to deliver multiple slashes across a single Fiend. She landed on the ground, raising her sword over her shoulder as the Fiend began to disperse into Pyreflies.

Mizuki tried to fend off one of the Fiends, but found her longsword to be ineffective. She barely did any harm to it, which frustrated her as the gel hardened up into a giant pillar. The Fiend tried to slam itself down on top of Mizuki, but the young woman was pulled back Alia just in the nick of time. Alia swung her katana at the Fiend, doing devastating damage to it in order to send it packing.

"I can't fight these things," Mizuki said as she held up her sword. "My grandfather's sword is powerless against the Fiends."

"Not for much longer," said Alia as an idea struck her. Under normal circumstances, Alia's katana wouldn't work against these Fiends either. However, Alia's Guado lineage allowed her to manipulate Pyreflies in a manner to make her katana capable of fighting them. She brought her hand to Mizuki's weapon and began to concentrate so that the sword could cut them as well.

A few Pyreflies migrated towards the women until they merged with Mizuki's sword. Their hymn brought a level of calm to them both as Alia saw that her work was done. She told Mizuki to try again now, which the young warrior did just that.

Mizuki attacked the Fiend that Alia had injured. She swung her sword forward to deliver the final blow as her sword was able to pierce through its liquid body to shatter the nucleus. The Fiend began to disperse into Pyreflies, signifying its end.

While appearances might've shown the battle in favor of the Gullwings, the surge of Fiends quickly changed the scales.

The gelatinous Fiends started to go on a stronger offensive as it viewed the Gullwings as a major threat. Some of the gels began to cast magic that rained down fire, lightning, water, and ice down on the Sphere-Hunters. Others hardened their bodies into pillars or bricks that were slammed to the dried lakebed.

The Fiends were proving themselves to be a real threat that put their lives in danger. The Gullwings could see why the Al Bhed was so easily overwhelmed now.

Haru stood guard over Shinra as he finished applying all the healing magic that he could. The young man was just getting back up on his feet when one of the Fiends was about to slam itself down on top of them. Shinra shouted at Haru to leave him and just get to somewhere safe when Haru refused to budge even an inch.

"I summon thee, Odin!" shouted Haru. "Protect us!"

Lightning flashed across the sky as a series of rose petals flickered around Haru. There was a flash of light with Odin bursting forth from in front of Haru just a second later. The Aeon God swung its lance at the Fiend, providing an instant death to the creature as he landed in front of his Summoner, ready for combat.

Shinra gasped by what he saw and sensed. This was no ordinary creature, Shinra understood this to be an Aeon, which made him see what Haru become. "You're…a Summoner?" said an astonished Shinra.

Nodding his head, Haru threw a smile back at Shinra just as Odin slayed another of the Fiends with his mighty lance.

The Aeon God watched as the Fiends surrounded the Gullwings. The Sphere-Hunters were barely hanging in there against the dozens of gels that were coming their way. In an effort to provide them with aid, Odin raised his lance into the air and called forth a series of thunderbolts that forced the gels into a temporary retreat.

Odin took one-step on the lakebed with the fight on hold when he sensed another presence. The god instantly recognized it as he turned around to face Haru, kneeling down before his Summoner. "Summoner Haru," said the god, "I sense one of my brethren nearby."

"You do?" asked Haru.

"It can talk!" shouted Shinra.

Odin nodded his head as he rose to his feet and transformed into his horse form. He called for Haru to climb on top of him, which the young Summoner did as he heard Odin's voice in his head. The god explained that the Fiends might've come into contact with the Fayth of an Aeon God, which is the source of the trouble at Macalania.

Understanding what Odin meant, Haru asked Odin to take him to the Fayth so that he might break the seal and forge another pact. Then, he figured the trouble with the Fiends would be over.

The Gullwings gathered around Shinra now, while Haru and Odin took off. The Fiends were started to return though, which wasn't a good sign at all, but Haru promised to be back soon as they vanished deeper into the remains of the temple.

* * *

Riding off to a forgotten corner of the lakebed, Odin brought Haru to where the remains of the Cloister of Trials could be found. It was here that the Aeon God said that they were likely to find the Fayth of the Aeon God that Lady Yunalesca had sealed here. Haru got on his feet as Odin remained at his side, ready for battle.

Haru wished to send Odin back to help the others, but realized that he might end up greater danger without Odin around. The young Summoner sighed as he approached the destroyed Cloister of Trials, the same trials that his parents had once gone through in order to obtain the power of the Fayth of Macalania Temple.

Passing over a destroy sphere and broken pillars of ice, Haru spotted what appeared to be a door with the symbol of Yevon over it. The door softly began to glow in his presence, which made him think it to be the door that led to the Chamber of the Fayth. Beyond the Cloisters was the Chamber of the Fayth where the stone-bound Fayth resided, waiting for a Summoner worthy of their power to approach them for aid on their Pilgrimage to defeat Sin.

Seeing some of the things that his parents saw on their Pilgrimage felt overwhelming to Haru as he was on his own Pilgrimage to save Spira. For now though, he had to bury those thoughts to find the Aeon God that was bound here.

Odin walked alongside his Summoner when he sensed something nearby. Turning towards a destroyed chamber within the Temple, Odin pushed it aside in order to reveal something hidden for over a thousand years. The god called the attention of his Summoner, bringing Haru towards him to see the Fayth of another Aeon God.

This Fayth featured what appeared to be a blue-skinned man with his body encased in ice. There were various snowflakes over his body, showing that this was the Aeon God who held dominion over Ice.

Haru extended his hand towards the stone, causing a wave of light to erupt from the Fayth. The young man heard the voice of a woman who lived a thousand years ago enter his head. He heard the spell that Lady Yunalesca casted to seal away the Aeon Gods from all of Spira. There mere presence of one who bound himself to the gods was powerful enough to shatter her spell, bringing freedom to the god that slumbered within the stone.

A cold wind blew in as a spritely figure arose from the stone. The Fayth of an Aeon God appeared before Haru and Odin. This Fayth was of a young man that appeared around Haru's age and equally as skinny as he was. The Fayth was dressed in a light blue shirt and tights with a sash and various jewels adorning his body. His rich, brown hair seemed to flow in the breeze too that his mighty power created.

"Do you wish me to freeze your heart away?" asked the Fayth of an Aeon God.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Haru.

The Fayth floated away from his stone as he got closer towards the young man. He placed his hand over Haru's heart, bringing a sharp chill into his frail body. "You are in pain," said the Fayth. "There is so much pain caused by your heart. I could freeze it so that you no longer feel the pain of your lover's betrayal."

Haru pushed himself away from the god's hand as he covered his heart with his own hands. The images of yesterday played in his mind thanks to the pain that the god brought to him. It brought tears to his eyes, tears that froze to his face from the cold air that the Aeon God brought with him.

Haru had to face this heartache; he couldn't just ignore it. He could hear the god's tempting over repeat itself in his head as he truly did want to make it so that his heart no longer ached because of Arthur. But that wasn't possible, at least not truly. There would continue to be pain in his life and he just had to learn to face it, not to fall apart every time something awful happened.

"No," Haru said, clearly as he took his hands away from his heart. "I refuse your offer to freeze my heart. However, I do wish to make a pact with thee, Shivar the God of Ice, in order to save my friends and save Spira from the threat of the Pendragon Empire!"

The Aeon God, Shivar, started to chuckle as he floated back towards Haru. He extended his hand out to the young Summoner. "Excellent choice, Summoner," said the Aeon God. "I accept thy offer. I bestow my power of Everlasting Ice in your care! Use my power to restore order to this dying land!"

Haru took the god's hand, feeling the pulsing rush of cold energy entering his body. A heavy gasp escaped from Haru due to the rush brought on by obtaining the essence of another god into him. It caused the Summoner to collapse to his knees as Shivar faded from view and Odin knelt down to help him back to his feet.

Odin returned to his horse form after getting Haru onto his back to rest as they rejoined the battle against the Fiends.

As Odin marched across the lakebed, Haru steadily felt strength returning to his body. He slowly started to pick himself up before clenching his stomach from the mild pain he felt from there. The young man pushed aside his pain though as he saw his friends at the lakebed on their knees as the Fiends were close to ending their lives.

Haru climbed on top of Odin's back just as they leapt over a large pillar. Haru used Odin as a springboard as he jumped off the god. "Odin, defend my friends!" shouted the young Summoner as he brought his hands to his sides.

Odin shifted into his warrior form as he returned to the battlefield. He landed next to the Gullwing and raised his shield up to create a larger, green barrier around them to prevent the army of gelatinous Fiends from crushing them alive.

Gathering his newfound powers, Haru prepared to summon another god to their aid. "I call upon the Ruler of the Icy Throne!" shouted Haru. "Ruler of Winter! Ruler of the Cold! I summon thee, Shivar!" Extending his hands forward, Haru allowed ice to gather all around him as he nearly crashed to the ground though. The ice protected him though as a heavy blanket of snow appeared to create an ice ramp that helped him to slide towards his friends.

Haru smiled as he turned his head to the side to spot the Aeon God flying beside him. Shivar appeared remarkably different in comparison to Odin. Shivar looked like a man with pale, white skin dressed in an elegant, blue suit. With a blue shirt unbuttoned to expose his lean chest that was adorned in snowflakes and baggy, dark-blue pants, Shivar kept up with appearances as God of Ice as he ran a hand though his long, blue hair to expose his elven ears.

Shivar extended his hand out to his Summoner, pulling Haru off from the ice ramp that instantly shattered as they landed on the ground. The ice ramp turned into sparkling snowflakes that soon began to gather around Shivar as he gained the attention of the Fiends in the area. "These creatures tried to absorb my power for the last sixteen years," said Shivar. "I look forward to repaying punishing them, if you allow it, Summoner Haru."

"Be my guest," said Haru. "These Fiends tried to hurt my friends. I have no love for them."

"Well, aren't you a little ice prince," laughed Shivar as he floated with cold wind granting him flight.

Taking the snowflakes behind him, Shivar released them to attack the Fiends in the area. The snowflakes changed from harmless bits of frozen water into a barrage of razor sharp knives that cut through most of the gelatinous Fiends. As several of the Fiends began to crumble apart, more Fiends from the surrounding area started to gather.

There was shouting as the Gullwings and the Aeon Gods spotted the Al Bhed from the woods arriving as they pushed the Fiends back to the lakebed. Even O'aka was amongst them as he threw snowballs at the Fiends.

Shivar floated into the air with a chuckle escaping his throat. "It looks like I'll have an audience for this one," said the Aeon God. Floating back towards his Summoner, Shivar took Haru into the air with him as the Summoner couldn't believe what was happening next. Shivar started to do circles around the lakebed. "Let's go for a ride, Pactmaker!"

Releasing his hold on Haru, Shivar floated directly of the Summoner before shifting his appearance. Snowflakes scattered from his body as Shivar transformed into a motorcycle that Haru landed on with his hands grabbing hold of the handlebars. A scream escaped from Haru's throat as Shivar acted with his own free will in his motorcycle form.

Driving the motorcycle, Shivar did more circles around the lakebed with blankets of snow rising from the ground to drown the Fiends. Haru could hear the god's voice in his head as he could with Odin. Shivar requested Haru's aid once more in order to deliver the final blow on their adversaries.

"Winter's Grasp!" shouted Haru.

Unleashing their combined might, Shivar made it so that the snow froze the Fiends into statues. The Aeon God pushed himself into the air with Haru getting knocked off the motorcycle as Shivar returned to his normal form. He caught Haru as they were free-falling and hand the Summoner extend his hand out just as he was doing to call down a vicious gust of chilling wind that caused the frozen Fiends to shatter apart.

Gently floating to the ground now, Shivar and Haru landed on their feet with the Aeon God patting the young Summoner's back. Shivar faded away alongside Odin since the battle was officially over.

Dropping to his knees, Haru felt positively exhausted when everyone started to gather around him. The Gullwings applauded Haru for another successful display of his skills as a Summoner, which caused O'aka and the Al Bhed to go into shock by these developments.

O'aka immediately dropped next to Haru with several potions in hand that he had the young man drink. "You're a Summoner now too, lad?" said an awestruck O'aka. "Like ye mother before you! Oh, what a surprise. You do know that you can come to O'aka for all your travel needs, right, Sir Haru? And I'll even give you a big discount!"

"Thank you, O'aka," chuckled Haru as he drank the Potion, feeling some of his strength returning to him. "I'll keep that in mind."

Shinra knelt down beside Haru, thanking the Summoner for his rescue. He made sure to thank the rest of the team too since his unit would've been killed without their aid. "I'll make sure to get the Celsius back into the air in a jiffy!" said Shinra.

"Yay!" shouted Seiki as he threw his arms into the air. "Oh, and Shinra, don't tell Brother or Buddy how bad the damages are! Please!"

"Your secret is safe with me," said Shinra.

Laughing and grateful to still be alive, they all started to get away from the lakebed that was now covered in snow. They had no idea what other affects that Shivar's freezing powers might have over the Macalania region, but they could already feel that it was a lot colder than it was before the fight.


End file.
